A Study and Development of Primary Circuit Simulation Code for China Experimental Fast Reactor

Author(s):  
Jin Wang ◽  
Donghui Zhang ◽  
Wenjun Hu ◽  
Lixia Ren

A fast reactor is one of recommended candidates of Generation IV nuclear energy systems, which would meet wide requirements such as sustainability, safety and economics for nuclear energy development. To be the China’s first fast reactor, China Experimental Fast Reactor (CEFR) typical technical options are following: 65 MW thermal power and 20 MW electric power, three circuits of sodium-sodium-water, integrated pool type structure for the primary circuit. To establish modular simulation system for sodium fast reactor, the code which simulated the thermal-hydraulic behavior of primary circuit was developed. The physical models include reactor core, reactor vessel cooling channel, pumps, protection vessel, intermediate heat exchangers, ionization chamber cooling channel, cold sodium pool, hot sodium pool, inlet plenum, and pipes, etc. The code could compute coolant pressures, flow rates, and temperatures in the primary circuit. This module was designed for analysis of a wide range of transients. Although based on CEFR, it can treat an arbitrary arrangement of components.

Author(s):  
Hu Xiao ◽  
Chen Xiao Liang

An innovative small modular sodium cooled fast reactor called S1 is designed by China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE). As an encapsulated nuclear source with thermal power of 3MW, S1 is characterized by small volume, light weight, high safety and sound reliability. The S1 systems adopt modularization, by which the core will be loaded in a factory and filled with sodium, then shipped to the assembled onsite, thus the construction time for S1 can be substantially reduced. In this paper, the Monte Carlo code MCNP is used to calculate the loading scheme of S1. Considering factory’s special conditions for loading and active chemical property of sodium, a special loading pattern is adopted for S1 — loading fuel first, then sodium filling. Ensure that the neutron source and detectors are well matched during loading, and detector counting rate is no less than 2cps when only neutron source but no fuel exists in the core. Three positions where the 252Cf neutron source is placed are studied in this paper: (1) at the center of the core; (2) at the middle of outside core plane; (3) at the bottom of outside the reactor vessel. Through MCNP simulation calculations and comparison of large resulting data, it finds the neutron source should be reasonably placed at the bottom of the reactor vessel where 252Cf strength is 105 s−1 neutrons, and the ex-core detectors are distributed symmetrically at the center of outside core plane; the most befitting moderator material of detector surface is methacrylate-C5H8O3. In this paper, 1/N extrapolation method is used during loading and kinds of loading schemes have been studied with reference to the principles of China experimental fast reactor (CEFR) and regulations of relevant research reactors, and 5-batch loading scheme is finally chosen as the optimal loading scheme. S1 is prepared for sodium filling at 250 °C. It shows that neutron flux variation of core can be more reliably monitored when the ex-core detectors are placed about 120cm away from the center core through MCNP simulation calculation. Such arrangement can also meet the monitoring requirements for loading and sodium filling.


Author(s):  
Gusztáv Mayer ◽  
Fabrice Bentivoglio

The helium cooled Gas Fast Reactor (GFR) is one of the six reactor concepts selected in the frame of the Generation IV International Forum. Since no gas cooled fast reactor has ever been built, a medium power demonstrator reactor — named ALLEGRO — is necessary on the road towards the 2400MWth GFR power reactor. The French CEA completed a wide range of studies on the early stage of development of ALLEGRO, and later the ALLEGRO reactor have been developed in several European Union projects in parallel with the GFR2400. The 75 MW thermal power ALLEGRO is recently being developed in the frame of European ALLIANCE project. As a result of the collaboration between CEA and MTA EK new improvements were done in the CATHARE modeling of ALLEGRO. In particular, the capability of simulation of breaks located in the crossduct (concentrically arranged pipes with the hotduct located inside the colduct) has been developed. A first scenario of hotduct break has been simulated, that does not lead to the depressurization of the system because of the crossduct technology. Nevertheless this transient leads to a high bypass of the core. Then a scenario of full rupture of the hotduct and the colduct has been tested, leading to beyond design state with depressurized situation combined with a large bypass of the core. However this study shows that the peak cladding temperature can be kept below the cladding melting point using nitrogen injection. In this paper the CATHARE model implemented for the crossduct rupture scenario and the results of the simulation are presented and discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 247 ◽  
pp. 10008
Author(s):  
Jiwon Choe ◽  
Chirayu Batra ◽  
Vladimir Kriventsev ◽  
Deokjung Lee

China Experimental Fast Reactor (CEFR) is a small size sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) with a high neutron leakage core fueled by uranium oxide. The CEFR core with 20 MW(e) power reached its first criticality in July 2010, and several start-up tests were conducted from 2010 to 2011. The China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE) proposed to release some of the neutronics start-up test data for the IAEA benchmark within the scope of the IAEA’s coordinated research activities through the coordinated research project (CRP) on “Neutronics Benchmark of CEFR Start-Up Tests”, launched in 2018. This benchmark aims to perform validation and verification of the physical models and the neutronics simulation codes by comparing calculation results against collected experimental data. The six physics start-up tests considered for this CRP include evaluation of the criticality, control rod worth, void reactivity, temperature coefficient, swap reactivity, and foil irradiation. Twenty-nine participating research organizations are performing independent blind calculations during the first phase of the project. As a part of this coordinated research, IAEA performed neutronics calculations using Monte Carlo code SERPENT. Two kinds of 3D core models, homogenous and heterogeneous, were calculated using SERPENT, with ENDF/B-VII.0 continuous energy library. Preliminary results with a reasonably good estimation of criticality, as well as theoretically sound results of other five test cases, are available. The paper will discuss the core modelling assumptions, challenges and key findings of modelling a dense SFR core, preliminary results of the first phase of the CRP, heterogeneity impact analysis between homogenous core models and heterogeneous core models and future work to be performed as a part of this four-year project.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 458
Author(s):  
Drew C. Baird ◽  
Benjamin Abban ◽  
S. Michael Scurlock ◽  
Steven B. Abt ◽  
Christopher I. Thornton

While there are a wide range of design recommendations for using rock vanes and bendway weirs as streambank protection measures, no comprehensive, standard approach is currently available for design engineers to evaluate their hydraulic performance before construction. This study investigates using 2D numerical modeling as an option for predicting the hydraulic performance of rock vane and bendway weir structure designs for streambank protection. We used the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics (SRH)-2D depth-averaged numerical model to simulate flows around rock vane and bendway weir installations that were previously examined as part of a physical model study and that had water surface elevation and velocity observations. Overall, SRH-2D predicted the same general flow patterns as the physical model, but over- and underpredicted the flow velocity in some areas. These over- and underpredictions could be primarily attributed to the assumption of negligible vertical velocities. Nonetheless, the point differences between the predicted and observed velocities generally ranged from 15 to 25%, with some exceptions. The results showed that 2D numerical models could provide adequate insight into the hydraulic performance of rock vanes and bendway weirs. Accordingly, design guidance and implications of the study results are presented for design engineers.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1267
Author(s):  
David Längauer ◽  
Vladimír Čablík ◽  
Slavomír Hredzák ◽  
Anton Zubrik ◽  
Marek Matik ◽  
...  

Large amounts of coal combustion products (as solid products of thermal power plants) with different chemical and physical properties cause serious environmental problems. Even though coal fly ash is a coal combustion product, it has a wide range of applications (e.g., in construction, metallurgy, chemical production, reclamation etc.). One of its potential uses is in zeolitization to obtain a higher added value of the product. The aim of this paper is to produce a material with sufficient textural properties used, for example, for environmental purposes (an adsorbent) and/or storage material. In practice, the coal fly ash (No. 1 and No. 2) from Czech power plants was firstly characterized in detail (X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), particle size measurement, and textural analysis), and then it was hydrothermally treated to synthetize zeolites. Different concentrations of NaOH, LiCl, Al2O3, and aqueous glass; different temperature effects (90–120 °C); and different process lengths (6–48 h) were studied. Furthermore, most of the experiments were supplemented with a crystallization phase that was run for 16 h at 50 °C. After qualitative product analysis (SEM-EDX, XRD, and textural analytics), quantitative XRD evaluation with an internal standard was used for zeolitization process evaluation. Sodalite (SOD), phillipsite (PHI), chabazite (CHA), faujasite-Na (FAU-Na), and faujasite-Ca (FAU-Ca) were obtained as the zeolite phases. The content of these zeolite phases ranged from 2.09 to 43.79%. The best conditions for the zeolite phase formation were as follows: 4 M NaOH, 4 mL 10% LiCl, liquid/solid ratio of 30:1, silica/alumina ratio change from 2:1 to 1:1, temperature of 120 °C, process time of 24 h, and a crystallization phase for 16 h at 50 °C.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 181
Author(s):  
Roberto De Santis ◽  
Teresa Russo ◽  
Julietta V. Rau ◽  
Ida Papallo ◽  
Massimo Martorelli ◽  
...  

A wide range of materials has been considered to repair cranial defects. In the field of cranioplasty, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based bone cements and modifications through the inclusion of copper doped tricalcium phosphate (Cu-TCP) particles have been already investigated. On the other hand, aliphatic polyesters such as poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA) have been frequently investigated to make scaffolds for cranial bone regeneration. Accordingly, the aim of the current research was to design and fabricate customized hybrid devices for the repair of large cranial defects integrating the reverse engineering approach with additive manufacturing, The hybrid device consisted of a 3D additive manufactured polyester porous structures infiltrated with PMMA/Cu-TCP (97.5/2.5 w/w) bone cement. Temperature profiles were first evaluated for 3D hybrid devices (PCL/PMMA, PLA/PMMA, PCL/PMMA/Cu-TCP and PLA/PMMA/Cu-TCP). Peak temperatures recorded for hybrid PCL/PMMA and PCL/PMMA/Cu-TCP were significantly lower than those found for the PLA-based ones. Virtual and physical models of customized devices for large cranial defect were developed to assess the feasibility of the proposed technical solutions. A theoretical analysis was preliminarily performed on the entire head model trying to simulate severe impact conditions for people with the customized hybrid device (PCL/PMMA/Cu-TCP) (i.e., a rigid sphere impacting the implant region of the head). Results from finite element analysis (FEA) provided information on the different components of the model.


Kerntechnik ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-49
Author(s):  
N. V. Maslov ◽  
E. I. Grishanin ◽  
P. N. Alekseev

Abstract This paper presents results of calculation studies of the viability of coated particles in the conditions of the reactor core on fast neutrons with sodium cooling, justifying the development of the concept of the reactor BN with microspherical fuel. Traditional rod fuel assemblies with pellet MOX fuel in the core of a fast sodium reactor are directly replaced by fuel assemblies with micro-spherical mixed (U,Pu)C-fuel. Due to the fact that the micro-spherical (U, Pu)C fuel has a developed heat removal surface and that the design solution for the fuel assembly with coated particles is horizontal cooling of the microspherical fuel, the core has additional possibilities of increasing inherent (passive) safety and improve the competitiveness of BN type of reactors. It is obvious from obtained results that the microspherical (U, Pu)C fuel is limited with the maximal burn-up depth of ∼11% of heavy atoms in conditions of the sodium-cooled fast reactor core at the conservative approach; it gives the possibility of reaching stated thermal-hydraulic and neutron-physical characteristics. Such a tolerant fuel makes it less likely that fission products will enter the primary circuit in case of accidents with loss of coolant and the introduction of positive reactivity, since the coating of microspherical fuel withstands higher temperatures than the steel shell of traditional rod-type fuel elements.


1984 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 505-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Drazen ◽  
R. D. Kamm ◽  
A. S. Slutsky

Complete physiological understanding of HFV requires knowledge of four general classes of information: 1) the distribution of airflow within the lung over a wide range of frequencies and VT (sect. IVA), 2) an understanding of the basic mechanisms whereby the local airflows lead to gas transport (sect. IVB), 3) a computational or theoretical model in which transport mechanisms are cast in such a form that they can be used to predict overall gas transport rates (sect. IVC), and 4) an experimental data base (sect. VI) that can be compared to model predictions. When compared with available experimental data, it becomes clear that none of the proposed models adequately describes all the experimental findings. Although the model of Kamm et al. is the only one capable of simulating the transition from small to large VT (as compared to dead-space volume), it fails to predict the gas transport observed experimentally with VT less than equipment dead space. The Fredberg model is not capable of predicting the observed tendency for VT to be a more important determinant of gas exchange than is frequency. The remaining models predict a greater influence of VT than frequency on gas transport (consistent with experimental observations) but in their current form cannot simulate the additional gas exchange associated with VT in excess of the dead-space volume nor the decreased efficacy of HFV above certain critical frequencies observed in both animals and humans. Thus all of these models are probably inadequate in detail. One important aspect of these various models is that some are based on transport experiments done in appropriately scaled physical models, whereas others are entirely theoretical. The experimental models are probably most useful in the prediction of pulmonary gas transport rates, whereas the physical models are of greater value in identifying the specific transport mechanism(s) responsible for gas exchange. However, both classes require a knowledge of the factors governing the distribution of airflow under the circumstances of study as well as requiring detail about lung anatomy and airway physical properties. Only when such factors are fully understood and incorporated into a general description of gas exchange by HFV will it be possible to predict or explain all experimental or clinical findings.


Author(s):  
Gianmario L. Arnulfi ◽  
Carlo Cravero ◽  
Martino Marini

Natural gas carrying from production sites to users’ facilities is made by marine shipping in liquid phase or by terrestrial pumping in gaseous phase through long pipelines. In the latter case several storage stations are distributed along the pipeline nets to move the natural gas from its deposits to users’ terminals. Storage stations are set up to compensate seasonal fluctuations of the consumer demand versus methane supply, storing the gas in various kinds of reservoirs. In most of such plants centrifugal compressors are used, where the energy and the time that a complete charge takes are affected by the operation scheduling of the compressor from the minimum to the maximum storage levels. While the pressure in the reservoir enforces the instant operation pressure, the flow rate is limited within a quite wide range. Here an in-house code, based on the lumped parameter approach and a quasi-steady dynamics, is applied to a complete charge. The natural gas behavior is modeled by the pseudo-ideal gas in order to get a fair accuracy keeping the usual gas dynamics equations. The compression path has been parameterized and a multi objective optimization, embedding the simulation code, has been implemented to find the most suitable management of the compression station for the minimization of time and energy. The most significant paths are analyzed to pick out the effects of the compression strategy.


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