Validation of the hybrid turbulence model in detailed thermal-hydraulic analysis code SPIRAL for fuel assembly using sodium experiments data of 37-pin bundles

吉川 龍志; 今井 康友*; 菊地 紀宏; 田中 正暁; 大島 宏之

Nuclear Technology, 210(5), p.814 - 835, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2249707

ナトリウム冷却高速炉安全性強化研究では、燃料ピンの構造健全性を評価するために各種運転条件下におけるワイヤスペーサ型燃料集合体内熱流動特性の解明が重要である。そこで有限要素法による集合体詳細熱流動解析コードSPIRALが開発されている。本研究では、SPIRALにおける壁近傍低Re数効果を考慮したハイブリッド型乱流モデルの妥当性を確認するために、層流-乱流遷移条件及び乱流条件を含む異なるRe数条件下の37本ピンバンドルナトリウム実験の再現解析を実施した。SPIRALによる予測された温度分布はナトリウム実験で測定され温度と一致した。以上によって、SPIRALにおけるハイブリッド型乱流モデルの広範囲Re数条件下ナトリウム冷却集合体熱流動評価への適用性を確認した。

CFD analysis on stratification dissolution and breakup of the air-helium gas mixture by natural convection in a large-scale enclosed vessel

Hamdani, A.; 安部 諭; 石垣 将宏; 柴本 泰照; 与能本 泰介

Progress in Nuclear Energy, 153, p.104415_1 - 104415_16, 2022/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2022.104415

This paper describes the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and validation works from the previous experimental study on the natural convection driven by outer surface cooling in the presence of density stratification consisting of air and helium (as a mimic gas of hydrogen). The experiment was conducted in the Containment InteGral effects Measurement Apparatus (CIGMA) facility at Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). The numerical simulation was carried out to analyze the detailed effect of the cooling region on the erosion of the helium stratification layer. The temporal and spatial evolution of the helium concentration and the gas temperature inside the containment vessel was predicted and validated against the experimental data. In addition, two stratification behaviors that depend on the cooling location were presented and discussed. The CFD simulation confirmed that an upper head cooling caused two counter-rotating vortexes in the helium-rich zone. Meanwhile, the upper half body cooling caused two counter-rotating vortexes in the helium-poor zone. These findings are important to understand the mechanism of the density stratification process driven by natural convection in the containment vessel.

Effect of fault activation on the hydraulic connectivity of faults in mudstone

大野 宏和; 石井 英一

Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, 31, p.100317_1 - 100317_9, 2022/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gete.2022.100317

An injection test and repeated packer tests were performed for a fault in siliceous mudstone in order to activate the fault and to investigate the change in hydraulic connectivity of the fault before and after the fault activation. The injection test successfully induced a remarkable dilational-shear failure within the fault. Pressure changes measured by the repeated packer tests were analyzed before and after the failure, where the log-log plots of pressure derivatives changed after the failure from an upward-trend indicating a limited extent of flow-paths to a horizontal trend suggesting well-connected flow-paths. After the borehole had been open for six weeks, the pressure derivatives were restored to an upward trend. This reversible change in pressure derivatives means that the hydraulic connectivity of the fault temporarily increased during and just after the injection but fault activation did not irreversibly affect the initially low hydraulic connectivity of the fault. This transition in the hydraulic connectivity of the fault is also consisted with the variation of fluid pressure monitored at a neighboring observation hole. We propose that analyzing the pressure derivatives obtained by repeated packer tests before and after the injection in a single borehole is effective to assess the sensitivity of hydraulic disconnectivity of faults to fault activation, which is crucial information for safety assessment of radioactive waste disposal.

再処理施設の高レベル廃液蒸発乾固事故での凝縮器を想定した事故対処策のリスク低減効果に係る実機解析

吉田 一雄; 玉置 等史; 桧山 美奈*

JAEA-Research 2021-013, 20 Pages, 2022/01

JAEA-Research-2021-013.pdf:2.35MB

再処理施設の過酷事故の一つである高レベル放射性廃液貯槽の冷却機能喪失による蒸発乾固事故では、沸騰により廃液貯槽から発生する硝酸-水混合蒸気とともにルテニウム(Ru)の揮発性の化学種が放出される。そのための事故対処策の一つとして貯槽から発生する混合蒸気を積極的に凝縮する凝縮器の設置案が示されている。この事故対策では、硝酸蒸気の拡散防止、Ruの除去率の向上などが期待できる。本報では、実規模の仮想的な再処理施設を対象に凝縮器を設けて施設内での蒸気及びRuの移行挙動の模擬を試行した。模擬解析では、MELCORを用いて施設内の熱流動解析を行い、得られた熱流動状態を境界条件として硝酸、窒素酸化物等の化学挙動を解析するSCHERNコードを用いてRuの定量的な移行挙動を模擬した。解析から、凝縮器による蒸気拡散防止及びRuの除去効率の向上効果を定量的に分析するとともに、凝縮器の解析モデル上の課題を明らかにすることができた。

再処理施設の高レベル廃液蒸発乾固事故でのNOの化学挙動を考慮したRuの移行挙動解析

吉田 一雄; 玉置 等史; 桧山 美奈*

JAEA-Research 2021-005, 25 Pages, 2021/08

JAEA-Research-2021-005.pdf:2.91MB

再処理施設の過酷事故の一つである高レベル放射性廃液貯槽の冷却機能喪失による蒸発乾固事故では、沸騰により廃液貯槽から発生する硝酸-水混合蒸気とともにルテニウム(Ru)の揮発性の化学種が放出される。このためリスク評価の観点からは、Ruの定量的な放出量の評価が重要な課題である。課題解決に向け当該施設での蒸気凝縮を伴う環境でのRuの移行挙動に係る小規模実験のデータ分析の結果から気液界面でのRuの物質移行係数の相関式を導出した。この相関式を用いて実規模の仮想的な再処理施設を対象に施設内でのRuの移行挙動の模擬を試行した。解析では、窒素酸化物の化学挙動を解析するSCHERNコードにこの相関式を組み込み、施設内の熱流動解析で得られた条件を境界条件としてRuの定量的な移行挙動を模擬し、その有効性を確認した。

熱流動とリスク評価,1; リスク評価における熱流動解析の役割

丸山 結; 吉田 一雄

日本原子力学会誌ATOMO, 63(7), p.517 - 522, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.3327/jaesjb.63.7_517

確率論的リスク評価(PRA)は合理的かつ定量的にリスクを評価する強力な手法である。しかしながら、PRAを実践しつつ、得られた結果を分析し、様々な意思決定に活用する上では、多様な分野の専門的な知識や技術,経験を必要とする。原子力施設のリスク評価においては、シビアアクシデントに至る過程やその進展を評価することが不可欠であり、それらに強く関連する熱流動は、PRAにおける重要な専門分野の一つである。本稿では、軽水炉のレベル2PRAにおけるソースターム評価及び再処理施設のシビアアクシデント時ソースターム評価を中心に、リスク評価における熱流動解析の役割について概説する。

Does fault activation affect the hydraulic disconnectivity of faults in mudstone?

大野 宏和; 武田 匡樹; 石井 英一

Extended abstract of International Conference on Coupled Processes in Fractured Geological Media; Observation, Modeling, and Application (CouFrac 2020) (Internet), 4 Pages, 2020/11

Low-permeability mudstone is a candidate host rock for radioactive waste disposal, but thermal-hydro-mechanically induced shear stresses and thermal pressurization due to the release of heat from radioactive waste may cause activation of faults in the host rock. Previous studies revealed that hydraulic connectivity of fractures in the deeper part of the Wakkanai Formation (siliceous mudstone) is limited and hence its effective permeability is very low. We performed an injection test on a fault in the deeper part to induce fault activation, and investigated the effect of fault activation on the hydraulic disconnectivity of the fault by analyzing pressure derivatives obtained by repetitive packer tests before and after the injection. The injection test successfully induced a remarkable dilational-shear failure within the fault, and the log-log plots of pressure derivatives changed after the failure from an upward-trend-type indicating a limited extent of flow-paths to a horizontal-trend-type suggesting well-connected flow-paths. The test-section pressure had already recovered when the horizontal-trend-type was observed. After the borehole had been open for 6 weeks, the pressure derivatives were restored to the upward-trend-type. We consider that self-sealing such as fracture closure by creep recovered the hydraulic disconnectivity of the fault after the failure.

The Working group on the analysis and management of accidents (WGAMA); A Historical review of major contributions

Herranz, L. E.*; Jacquemain, D.*; Nitheanandan, T.*; Sandberg, N.*; Barr, F.*; Bechta, S.*; Choi, K.-Y.*; D'Auria, F.*; Lee, R.*; 中村 秀夫

Progress in Nuclear Energy, 127, p.103432_1 - 103432_14, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2020.103432

WGAMA started on Dec. 31st 1999 to assess and strengthen the technical basis needed for the prevention, mitigation and management of potential accidents in NPP and to facilitate international convergence on safety issues and AM analyses and strategies. WGAMA addresses reactor thermal-hydraulics (Thys), in-vessel behavior of degraded cores, containment behavior and protection, and FP release, transport, deposition and retention, for both current and advanced reactors. This paper summarizes such WGAMA contributions in Thys, CFD and severe accidents, which include the Fukushima-Daiichi accident impacts on the WGAMA activities and their substantial outcomes. Around 50 technical reports have become reference in the related fields, which appear in References. Recommendations in these reports include further research, some of which have given rise to the joint projects conducted or underway within the OECD framework. Ongoing WGAMA activities are numerous and a number of them are to be launched in the near future, which are shortly mentioned too.

CFD analysis of the CIGMA experiments on the heated JET injection into containment vessel with external surface cooling

Hamdani, A.; 安部 諭; 石垣 将宏; 柴本 泰照; 与能本 泰介

Proceedings of 18th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-18) (USB Flash Drive), p.5463 - 5479, 2019/08

The present study introduces thermal mixing and stratification produced by heated air jet located at the bottom level of the containment vessel. The investigation was carried out experimentally and numerically in the large containment vessel called CIGMA (Containment InteGral effects Measurement Apparatus). The experiments were conducted with external surface cooling and various air jet inlet temperatures. The containment cooling was done by flooding the water on the external side of half-upper of a vessel. To identify their influence on the thermal mixing and stratification phenomena, the investigation focuses on mixing convection which occurred in the cooled region of a containment vessel. Temperature distribution and jet velocity were measured by thermocouple and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) respectively. Numerical simulation was performed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code OpenFOAM to investigate the detail effects of external cooling on the fluid flow and thermal characteristics in the test vessel. CFD results showed a good agreement with experimental data on both temperature and velocity. Both temperature and velocity of hot air jet decayed rapidly downstream jet nozzle. Thermal stratification was observed by visualization of temperature contour maps over a cross-section in the containment vessel. Vigorous mixing was also noticed in the upper region of the containment vessel. Effect of external cooling on mixing and the thermal stratification were presented and discussed.

Preliminary analysis of sodium experimental apparatus PLANDTL-2 for development of evaluation method for thermal hydraulics in reactor vessel of sodium fast reactor under decay heat removal system operation condition

小野 綾子; 田中 正暁; 三宅 康洋*; 浜瀬 枝里菜; 江連 俊樹

Proceedings of 27th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-27) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2019/05

https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmeicone.2019.27.2318

ポンプなどの動力に頼らない自然循環方式崩壊熱除去システムは、ナトリウム冷却高速炉の安全性向上に効果的であると認識されている。本論文では、浸漬型冷却器(DHX)やラッパー管のギャップも含めた炉心内の熱流動挙動を評価できる数値解析手法を確立するために、DHXと炉上部プレナムを模したPLANDTL-2におけるナトリウム試験の予備解析を行い、解析モデルの妥当性について述べた。