Application of Acoustic Technique for Surveillance and Anomaly Detection in LMFBRs

Author(s):  
V. Prakash ◽  
M. Anandaraj ◽  
M. Thirumalai ◽  
P. Kalyanasundaram ◽  
G. Vaidyanathan

Acoustic techniques find wide application in Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBRs) for ensuring its high reliability, safety and plant availability. Various surveillance methods based on acoustic technique can be employed in these reactors to detect deviations from normal operating conditions. This could be used for the measurement of drop time of Diverse Safety Rods (DSRs) in the core, detection of in-sodium water leaks in Steam Generators, cavitation detection in sodium pumps and reactor core components. An active R&D program is being pursued in these areas at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research. Acoustic measurement technique has been used to determine the drop time of Diverse Safety Rods in sodium. 3 nos of Diverse Safety Rods (DSRs) are provided in Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) for its safe shut down in case of a SCRAM. An online drop time measurement system using acoustic technique is planned to detect the proper insertion of DSRs into their corresponding Subassemblies. Experiments were conducted during the performance testing of DSRs in sodium using accelerometer instrumented wave-guide system and free fall time and braking time of DSR have been measured. For detection of in-sodium water leaks in Steam Generators, acoustic method serves as a supplementary monitoring technique with an intermediate sensitivity and instantaneous response. To develop an acoustic leak detection system for Steam Generators of Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, preliminary studies on the behavior of micro leak and its propagation has been carried out in Sodium Water Reaction Test Rig, injecting steam into sodium. Acoustic technique was employed to characterize the onset of leak. Cavitation in LMFBRs can occur in fuel subassemblies, pressure drop devices, pumps etc. It is important to minimize cavitation to reduce the risk of damage from erosion. Acoustic technique was extensively used in qualifying Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor components against cavitation phenomenon. This paper discusses the various experiments carried out towards the development of the acoustic surveillance methods for FBRs, instrumentation involved, results obtained from experiments and brief details of the future programme.

Author(s):  
P. Chellapandi ◽  
V. Rajan Babu ◽  
S. C. Chetal ◽  
Raj Baldev

Control and safety rods & their drive mechanisms (CSRDM) and diverse safety rods & their drive mechanisms (DSRDM) are the main constituents of the two independent shutdown systems in Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) of 500 MWe. There are nine CSR and three DSR placed within the hexagonal sheaths, which in turn are located in two radial banks of reactor core. This paper deals with the analysis carried out to predict the performance of CSRDM along with CSR. Analysis is carried out for the static and seismic loading under the fuel handling as well as normal operating conditions with the objective of ensuring structural integrity as well as to estimate the drop time during seismic event. The effects of bowing of sub-assemblies corresponding to the end of life situation have been considered. From the analysis, it is found that the drop time of CSR is 0.82 s, which is less than 1 s, and hence there is no concern of reactor shutdown. Further, it is ensured that there is no mechanical interaction of concern between various parts. The induced stresses are found to be very much less than RCC-MR allowable stress intensity. Thus the performance of CSRDM and CSR is demonstrated to be sound during normal as well as seismic events.


Author(s):  
R. Vijayashree ◽  
R. Veerasamy ◽  
Sudheer Patri ◽  
S. Suresh Kumar ◽  
S. C. S. P. Kumar Krovvidi ◽  
...  

PFBR, India’s first commercial fast breeder reactor employing fast fission is a challenging project from technological point of view to meet the energy security of the country. It is currently under advanced stage of construction at Kalpakkam, India. PFBR is equipped with two independent, fast acting and diverse shutdown systems. A shutdown system comprises of sensors, logic circuits, drive mechanisms and neutron absorbing rods. The absorber rods of the second shutdown system of PFBR are called as Diverse Safety rods (DSR) and their drive mechanisms are called as Diverse Safety Rod Drive Mechanisms (DSRDM). DSR are normally parked above active core by DSRDM. On receiving scram signal, Electromagnet of DSRDM is de-energised and it facilitates fast shutdown of the reactor by dropping the DSR in to the active core. For the prototype development of DSR and DSRDM, three phases of testing namely individual component testing, integrated functional testing in room temperature and endurance testing at high temperature sodium were planned and are being done. The electromagnet of DSRDM operates at high temperature sodium environment continuously. It has been separately tested at room temperature, in furnace and in sodium. Specimens simulating the contact conditions between Electromagnet and armature of DSR have been tested to rule out self welding possibility. The Dashpot provided to decelerate the DSR at the end of its free fall has been initially tested in water and then in sodium. The prototype of DSR has been tested in flowing water to determine the pressure drop and drop time. The functional testing of the integrated prototype DSRDM and DSR in aligned and misaligned conditions in air/water has been completed. The performance testing of the integrated system in sodium has been done in three campaigns. Based on the performance testing in the first two campaigns of sodium testing, design modifications and manufacturing quality improvement were done. Methods of drop time measurement based on ultrasonics and acoustics were also developed along with the first two campaigns. During the third campaign of sodium testing, the performance of the system has been verified with 30 mm misalignment at various temperatures. The third campaign has qualified the system for 10 years of operation in reactor. This paper describes the test setup for all the above mentioned testing and also gives typical test results.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haisheng Li ◽  
Wenping Wang ◽  
Yinghua Chen ◽  
Xinxi Zhang ◽  
Chaoyong Li

Background: The fly ash produced by coal-fired power plants is an industrial waste. The environmental pollution problems caused by fly ash have been widely of public environmental concern. As a waste of recoverable resources, it can be used in the field of building materials, agricultural fertilizers, environmental materials, new materials, etc. Unburned carbon content in fly ash has an influence on the performance of resource reuse products. Therefore, it is the key to remove unburned carbon from fly ash. As a physical method, triboelectrostatic separation technology has been widely used because of obvious advantages, such as high-efficiency, simple process, high reliability, without water resources consumption and secondary pollution. Objective: The related patents of fly ash triboelectrostatic separation had been reviewed. The structural characteristics and working principle of these patents are analyzed in detail. The results can provide some meaningful references for the improvement of separation efficiency and optimal design. Methods: Based on the comparative analysis for the latest patents related to fly ash triboelectrostatic separation, the future development is presented. Results: The patents focused on the charging efficiency and separation efficiency. Studies show that remarkable improvements have been achieved for the fly ash triboelectrostatic separation. Some patents have been used in industrial production. Conclusion: According to the current technology status, the researches related to process optimization and anti-interference ability will be beneficial to overcome the influence of operating conditions and complex environment, and meet system security requirements. The intelligent control can not only ensure the process continuity and stability, but also realize the efficient operation and management automatically. Meanwhile, the researchers should pay more attention to the resource utilization of fly ash processed by triboelectrostatic separation.


Author(s):  
H. X. Liang ◽  
Q. W. Wang ◽  
L. Q. Luo ◽  
Z. P. Feng

Three-dimensional numerical simulation was conducted to investigate the flow field and heat transfer performance of the Cross-Wavy Primary Surface (CWPS) recuperators for microturbines. Using high-effective compact recuperators to achieve high thermal efficiency is one of the key techniques in the development of microturbine in recent years. Recuperators need to have minimum volume and weight, high reliability and durability. Most important of all, they need to have high thermal-effectiveness and low pressure-losses so that the gas turbine system can achieve high thermal performances. These requirements have attracted some research efforts in designing and implementing low-cost and compact recuperators for gas turbine engines recently. One of the promising techniques to achieve this goal is the so-called primary surface channels with small hydraulic dimensions. In this paper, we conducted a three-dimensional numerical study of flow and heat transfer for the Cross-Wavy Primary Surface (CWPS) channels with two different geometries. In the CWPS configurations the secondary flow is created by means of curved and interrupted surfaces, which may disturb the thermal boundary layers and thus improve the thermal performances of the channels. To facilitate comparison, we chose the identical hydraulic diameters for the above four CWPS channels. Since our experiments on real recuperators showed that the Reynolds number ranges from 150 to 500 under the operating conditions, we implemented all the simulations under laminar flow situations. By analyzing the correlations of Nusselt numbers and friction factors vs. Reynolds numbers of the four CWPS channels, we found that the CWPS channels have superior and comprehensive thermal performance with high compactness, i.e., high heat transfer area to volume ratio, indicating excellent commercialized application in the compact recuperators.


Author(s):  
E. Benvenuti ◽  
B. Innocenti ◽  
R. Modi

This paper outlines parameter selection criteria and major procedures used in the PGT 25 gas turbine power spool aerodynamic design; significant results of the shop full-load tests are also illustrated with reference to both overall performance and internal flow-field measurements. A major aero-design objective was established as that of achieving the highest overall performance levels possible with the matching to latest generation aero-derivative gas generators; therefore, high efficiencies were set as a target both for the design point and for a wide range of operating conditions, to optimize the turbine’s uses in mechanical drive applications. Furthermore, the design was developed to reach the performance targets in conjunction with the availability of a nominal shaft speed optimized for the direct drive of pipeline booster centrifugal compressors. The results of the full-load performance testing of the first unit, equipped with a General Electric LM 2500/30 gas generator, showed full attainment of the design objectives; a maximum overall thermal efficiency exceeding 37% at nominal rating and a wide operating flexibility with regard to both efficiency and power were demonstrated.


Author(s):  
W Wang ◽  
E. C. Chirwa ◽  
E Zhou ◽  
K Holmes ◽  
C Nwagboso

It is well known that the optimum ignition timing, which gives the maximum brake torque (MBT) for a given engine design, varies with the rate of flame development and propagation in the cylinder. This depends, among other factors, on engine design and operating conditions, and on the properties of the air-fuel mixture. In modern engines the ignition timing is generally controlled by fixed open-loop schedules as functions of engine speed, load and coolant temperature. It is desairable that this ignition timing can be adjusted to the optimum level producing the best torque to obtain minimum fuel consumption and maximum available power. This paper presents an ignition timing control system based on fuzzy logic theory. A pressure sensor system ws developed for the determination of combustion parameters and ignition control on a Ford 1600cm3 four-cylinder engine fuelled with natural gas. Several tests were carried out in optimizing the pressure detection system. The results obtained provide important information compatible with intelligent control of the engine using fuzzy logic technology. Moreover, tests carried out to date using this technology show good results that fit quite well with the original engine output torque characteristics.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pradeep Lall ◽  
Sungmo Jung

Abstract High reliability harsh environment applications necessitate a better understanding of the acceleration factors under operating stresses. Automotive electronics has transitioned to the use of copper wire for first level interconnects. A number of copper wire formulations have emerged including palladium coated copper and gold-flash palladium coated copper. The corrosion reliability of copper wire bonds in high temperature conditions is not yet fully understood. The EMC used to encapsulate chips and interconnects can vary widely in formulation, including pH, porosity, diffusion rate, composition of contaminants and contaminant concentration. To realistically represent the expected wirebond reliability, there is need for a predictive model that can account for environmental conditions, operating conditions, and exposure to EMCs. In this paper, different EMCs were studied in a high-temperature-current environment with temperature range of 60°C–100°C under current of 0.2A–1A. The diffusion kinetics based on the Nernst-Planck Equation for migration of the chlorine ions has been coupled with the Butler-Volmer equation for corrosion kinetics to create a Multiphysics model. Polarization curves have been measured for copper, aluminum and intermetallics under a number of pH values, and chlorine-ion concentrations. Tafel parameters have been extracted through measurements of the polarization curves.


Author(s):  
Zoltán Czirkos ◽  
Gábor Hosszú

In this chapter, the authors present a novel peer-to-peer based intrusion detection system called Komondor, more specifically, its internals regarding the utilized peer-to-peer transport layer. The novelty of our intrusion detection system is that it is composed of independent software instances running on different hosts and is organized into a peer-to-peer network. The maintenance of this overlay network does not require any user interaction. The applied P2P overlay network model enables the nodes to communicate evenly over an unstable network. The base of our Komondor NIDS is a P2P network similar to Kademlia. To achieve high reliability and availability, we had to modify the Kademlia overlay network in such a way so that it would be resistent to network failures and support broadcast messages. The main purpose of this chapter is to present our modifications and enhancements on Kademlia.


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