Analysis of fuel assemblies inclination due to upper core support plate deflection for reactivity evaluation

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Igawa, Kenichi*; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Tanaka, Masaaki; Nemoto, Toshiyuki*

Transactions of the 27th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology (SMiRT 27) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2024/03

To investigate possibility of the insertion of the reactivity by the deflection of the upper core support plate, structural mechanics analyses of the domain consisting of the fuel assemblies and core support plates and evaluation of the reactivity due to the inclination of the fuel assemblies in EBR-II were carried out. As a result, it was indicated that the upper core support plate deflected downward larger at the low flowrate condition than that at the high flowrate condition and positive reactivity was inserted due to the inclination of the fuel assemblies at the low flowrate condition.

Verification of fuel assembly bowing analysis model for core deformation reactivity evaluation

Doda, Norihiro; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Ohgama, Kazuya; Yoshimura, Kazuo; Nemoto, Toshiyuki*; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa

Nihon Kikai Gakkai Kanto Shibu Dai-29-Ki Sokai, Koenkai Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 5 Pages, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmekanto.2023.29.17H21

An evaluation method for reactivity feedback due to core deformation during reactor power increase in sodium-cooled fast reactors is being developed for realistic core design evaluation. In this evaluation method, fuel assembly bowing was modeled with a beam element of the finite element method, and the assembly's pad contact between adjacent assemblies was modeled with a dedicated element which could consider the wrapper tube cross-sectional distortion and the pad stiffness depending on pad contact conditions. This fuel assembly bowing analysis model was verified for thermal bowing of a single assembly and assembly pad contact between adjacent assemblies in a core as past benchmark problems. The calculation results by this model showed good agreement with those of reference solutions of theoretical solutions or results by participating institutions in the benchmark. This study confirmed that the analysis model was able to calculate thermal assembly bowing appropriately.

Development of evaluation method for core deformation reactivity feedback in sodium-cooled fast reactor by coupled analysis approach

Doda, Norihiro; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Yokoyama, Kenji; Nemoto, Toshiyuki*; Tanaka, Masaaki

Proceedings of 19th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-19) (Internet), 14 Pages, 2022/03

In sodium-cooled fast reactors, reactivity feedback is generated by thermal deformation of the core fuel assembly during core temperature rise. To utilize the core deformation reactivity as an inherent safety characteristic and to eliminate excessive conservativeness of core design in the safety evaluation, an evaluation method by coupling analyses of neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, and structural deformation has been developed. An experiment of unprotected loss-of-flow event in the experimental fast breeder reactor EBR-II was analyzed. The analysis results show that the core deformation reactivity has a negative feedback effect, and that the deformation reactivity is affected not only by the fuel movement but also by the movement of reflectors around the fuel. As a result, the availability of the evaluation method for core deformation reactivity feedback by coupled analysis approach is confirmed.

Development of neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, and structure mechanics coupled analysis method on integrated numerical analysis for design optimization support in fast reactor

Doda, Norihiro; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Nemoto, Toshiyuki*; Yokoyama, Kenji; Tanaka, Masaaki

Keisan Kogaku Koenkai Rombunshu (CD-ROM), 26, 4 Pages, 2021/05

For design optimization of fast reactors, in order to consider the feedback reactivity due to thermal deformation of the core when the core temperature rises, which could not be considered in the conventional design analysis, a neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, and structure mechanics coupled analysis method has been developed. Neutronics code, plant dynamics code, and structural mechanics code are coupled by a control module in python script. This paper outlines the coupling method of analysis codes and the results of its application to an experiment in an actual plant.

Study on loss-of-cooling and loss-of-coolant accidents in spent fuel pool, 5; Investigation of cooling effects of SFP spray and alternate water injection with MAAP code

Nishimura, Satoshi*; Satake, Masaaki*; Nishi, Yoshihisa*; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Kaji, Yoshiyuki

Proceedings of 27th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-27) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2019/05

In this study, accident progression analyses in the SFP were performed to investigate cooling effects of the SFP spray and an alternate water injection in the loss-of-pool water accident with MAAP ver. 5.05 beta. Fuel cladding oxidation model which was created by JAEA based on their experimental data was selected and applied in the present calculations. In case of an assessment of SFP spray effects, decay heat, spray fraction going into the fuel assembly, spray droplet diameter, spray start time were selected as analytical parameters. When the SFP spray of 12.5 kg/s (200 GPM) starts 4 hours after the onset of the accident against the spent fuels with 4 months cooling and if the spray fraction going into the fuel assembly is greater than 30%, the maximum cladding temperature can be maintained under 727C (1000 K), resulting in avoiding the cladding failure.

Improvement in oil seal performance of gas compressor in HTTR, 2

Nemoto, Takahiro; Kaneshiro, Noriyuki*; Sekita, Kenji; Furusawa, Takayuki; Kuroha, Misao; Kawakami, Satoru; Kondo, Masaaki

JAEA-Technology 2015-006, 36 Pages, 2015/03

JAEA-Technology-2015-006.pdf:16.77MB

The High-Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) has been developed for establishing and upgrading the technical basis of HTGR.HTTR facilities have their structures, systems and a lot of components including reciprocating gas compressors, commonly used to extract and/or discharge reactor coolant helium gas contained in primary/secondary coolant systems. From the fact of the operational experiences of these compressors, seal-oil leakage has been frequently observed, although rod-seal mechanisms with complicated structures are equipped and improved for preventing coolant helium gas. So, we tried to change the rod-seal materials which might be a primary reason of frequent seal-oil leakage, that resulted in decreasing a mass and frequently of seal-oil leakage. It is confirmed that it is important to select adequate materials of rod seal for sliding speed of the piston of the compressor to prevent seal-oil leakage. Additionally, the procedure to estimate seal-oil leakage for each compressor is discussed. This report describes the results of investigation for improvement on seal-oil leak tightness of the compressors in HTTR facilities.

Vectorization, parallelization and porting of nuclear codes; 2001

Akiyama, Mitsunaga*; Katakura, Fumishige*; Kawasaki, Nobuo*; Nemoto, Toshiyuki*; Tsuruoka, Takuya*; Adachi, Masaaki*; Ishizuki, Shigeru*; Kume, Etsuo

JAERI-Data/Code 2003-009, 307 Pages, 2003/07

JAERI-Data-Code-2003-009.pdf:10.37MB

Several computer codes in the nuclear field have been vectorized, parallelized and transported on the supar computer system at Center for Promotion of Computational Science and Engineering in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. We dealt with 10 codes in fiscal 2001. In this report, the parallelization of Newtron Radiography for 3 dimensional CT code NR3DCT, the vectorization of Unsteady-state heat conduction code THERMO3D, the porting of initial program of MHD simulation, the tuning of Heat And Mass Balance Analysis Code HAMBAC, the porting and parallelization of Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code MCNP4C3, the porting and parallelization of Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport code system MCNPX2.1.5, the porting of code CINAC-V4, the porting of Assisted Model Building with Energy Refinement Amber5 code system, the part of additional VisLink library Multidimensional Two-fluid model code ACD3D and the porting of experiment data processing code for GS8500 to SR8000 are described.

Vectorization, parallelization and porting of nuclear codes (Porting); Progress report fiscal 1999

Kawasaki, Nobuo*; Nemoto, Toshiyuki*; Kawai, Wataru*; Ogasawara, Shinobu*; Ishizuki, Shigeru*; Kume, Etsuo; Yatake, Yoichi*; Adachi, Masaaki*

JAERI-Data/Code 2000-039, 134 Pages, 2001/01

JAERI-Data-Code-2000-039.pdf:4.32MB

no abstracts in English

JOYO coolant sodium and cover gas purity control database (MK-II core)

; Nemoto, Masaaki; Saikawa, Takuya*; Sukegawa, Kazuya*

JNC TN9410 2000-008, 66 Pages, 2000/03

JNC-TN9410-2000-008.pdf:1.39MB

The experimental fast reactor "JOYO" served as the MK-II irradiation bed core for testing fuel and material for FBR development for 15 years from 1982 to 1997. During the MK-II operation, impurities concentrations in the sodium and the argon gas were determined by 67 samples of primary sodium, 81 samples of secondary sodium, 75 samples of primary argon gas, 89 samples of secondary argon gas (the overflow tank) and 89 samples of secondary argon gas (the dump tank). The sodium and the argon gas purity control data were accumulated from in thirty-one duty operations, thirteen special test operations and eight annual inspections. These purity control results and related plant data were compiled into database, which were recorded on CD-ROM for user convenience. Purity control data include concentration of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, chlorine, iron, nickel and chromium in sodium, concentration of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and helium in argon gas with the reactor condition.

Vectorization, parallelization and porting of nuclear codes (Porting); Progress report fiscal 1998

Nemoto, Toshiyuki*; Kawasaki, Nobuo*; Kume, Etsuo; Kawai, Wataru*; Adachi, Masaaki*; Ishizuki, Shigeru*; Yatake, Yoichi*; Ogasawara, Shinobu*

JAERI-Data/Code 2000-017, p.99 - 0, 2000/03

JAERI-Data-Code-2000-017.pdf:3.31MB

no abstracts in English