CompalisonoFnlermohydraulicCharacteristicsintheuseofvariousCoolants

; ; *; Yamaguchi, Akira

JNC TN9400 2000-109, 96 Pages, 2000/11

JNC-TN9400-2000-109.pdf:9.56MB

Numerical calculations were carried out for a free surface sloshing, a thermal stratification, a thermal striping, and a natural convection as key phenomena of in-vessel thermohydraulics in future fast reactor systems with various fluids as coolants. This numerical work was initiaied based on a recognition that the fundamental characteristics of the phenomena have been unsolved quantitatively in the use of various coolants. From the analysis for the phenomena, the following results were obtained. [Free Surface Sloshing phenomena] (1)Ther is no remarkable difference betweeen liquid sodium and luquid Pb-Bi in characteristics of internal flows and free surface charatristics based on Fr number. (2)the AQUA-VOF code has a potentiall enough to evaluate gas entrainment behavior from the free surface including the internal flow characteristics. [thermal Stratification Phenomena] (1)On-set position of thermal entainment process due to dynamic vortex flows was moved to downstream direction with decreasing of Ri number. 0n the other hand, the position in the case of C0 gas was shifted to upstream side with decreasing of Ri number. (2)Destruction speed of the thermal stratyification interface was dependent on thermal diffusivity as fluid properties. therefor it was concluded that an elimination method is necessary for the interface generated in C0 gas. [thermal Striping Phenomena] (1)Large amplitudes of fluid temperature fluctuations was reached to down stream area in the use of CO gas, due to larger fluid viscosity and smaller thermal diffusivity, compared with liquid sodium and liquid Pb-Bi cases. (2)To simulate thermal striping conditions such as amplitude and frequency of the fluid temperature fluctuations, it isnecessary for coincidences of Re number for the amplitude and of velocity value for the frequency, in various coolants. [Natural Convection Phenomena] (1)Fundamental behavior of the natural convection in various coolant follows buoyant jet ....

Feasibility studies on commercialized fast breeder reactor cycle system (Phase I) interim report

; Inagaki, Tatsutoshi*

JNC TY1400 2000-003, 92 Pages, 2000/08

JNC-TY1400-2000-003.pdf:3.9MB

Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) and Japan Atomic Power company (JAPCO, that is the representative of the electric utilities in Japan) have established a new organization to develop a commercialized fast breeder reactor (FBR) cycle system since July 1, 1999 and feasibility studies (F/S) have been undertaken in order to determine the promising concepts and to define the necessary R&D tasks. In the first two-year phase, a number of candidate concepts will be selected from various options, featuring innovative technologies. In the F/S, the options are evaluated and conceptual designs are examined considering the attainable perspectives for following: (1) ensuring safety, (2) economic competitiveness to future LWRs, (3) efficient utilization of resources, (4) reduction of environmental burden and (5) enhancement of nuclear non-proliferation. The F/S should also guide the necessary R&D to commercialize FBR cycle system.

All under-water experiment on the acoustic characteristic of high temperature ultrasonic transducers

Nakayama, Oukatsu;

JNC TN9400 2000-087, 74 Pages, 2000/07

JNC-TN9400-2000-087.pdf:3.25MB

We have been developing an Ultrasound Doppler Velocimetry technique (UDV), in order to apply thermo-hydraulic measurement in sodium. A feasibility study had been conducted to identify development subjects of sensor and signal processing. Thus, high temperature ultrasonic transducers were manufactured to use in water and sodium tests, which will be scheduled to optimize an algorism of signal processing and to improve the characteristic of the transducer. ln this report, we described the results of an experiment on the acoustic characteristic of transducer in water. The results are as follows : (1)The ultrasound beam profile of the transducer relating to the characteristic of velocity profile measurement using scattering ultrasound wave was obtained. The estimation of ultrasound beam profile in liquid and an ultrasound near-field region were introduced from these experimental data, (2)lt was confirmed that the frequency's spectrum of transducers are adequate for the design requirement of flow velocity range. The specifications of a transmitter and receiver for a transducer were identified, such as the amplitude gain for scattered ultrasound signal and the frequency resolution for Doppler sift signal. (3)The spatial resolution of the ultrasound beam was estimated to evaluate the accuracy of now profile measurement on UDV system.

Experimental analyses results on the BFS 58-1-I1 critical assemblies

; Sato, Wakaei*; Iwai, Takehiko*

JNC TN9400 2000-096, 113 Pages, 2000/06

JNC-TN9400-2000-096.pdf:3.1MB

This report describes the updated analyses results on the BFS-58-1-I1 core. The experiment was conducted at BFS-2 of Russian Institute of Physics & Power Engineering (IPPE). The central region is "non-Uranium fuel zone", where only Pu can induce fission reaction. The non-U zone is surrounded by MOx fuel zone, which is surrounded by U0 fuel zone. Sodium is used for simulating the coolant material. As it was found that the lattice pitch had been incorrectly understood in the past analyses, all items have been re-calculated using the corrected number densities. Furthermore, significantly softened neutron spectrum in the central region caused problems in applying the plate-stretch model that has been established for fast reactor cores through JUPITER experimental analyses. Both keeping the pellet density and using SRAC library for the elastic cross section for lighter nuclides allow us to obtain reasonable analysis accuracy on the spectral indices that were measured at the center of the core. Application of such a cell model was justified through comparison among various cell models using continuous energy Monte-Carlo code MVP. It is confirmed that both the MOX zone and the U0 zone can be correctly evaluated by the plate-stretch model. Based on the updated cell calculation, both the effective multiplication factor (k-eff)and the spectral indexes agree well with the measured values. The transport and mesh-size correction is made for the k-eff evaluation. Those results also agree well within reasonable difference between those obtained by IPPE and CEA, which were obtained by using sub-group method or continuous-energy Monte Carlo code. Evaluation by the nuclear data library adjustment confirmed that the analyses results of the BFS-58-1-I1 core have no significant inconsistency with JUPITER experimental analyses results. Those results are quite important for starting BFS-62 cores, which will be analyzed in the framework of supporting program for Russian ...

lnvestigation of thermal-hydraulic issues resulting in the use of various coolants

; Yamaguchi, Akira

JNC TN9400 2000-056, 150 Pages, 2000/05

JNC-TN9400-2000-056.pdf:6.67MB

[Purpose] The work was performed to make clear thermal-hydraulic issues resulting in the use of various coolants for fast reactors. [Method] Plant design features due to a use of working fluid other than sodium and design concepts relating a simplification of safety related systems were investigated. And based on the results, quantitative evaluation was made on the topical themal-hydraulic issues. Then both thermal stratification and striping phenomena were evaluated by the used of thermo-hydraulics computer programs. [Results] (1)Thermal-hydraulic issues Topical thermal-hydraulic issues of gaseous and heavy metal cooled reactors were extracted. (a)Gas cooled reactors : natural circulation,flow-induced vibration, depressurization accident (b)Heavy metal cooled reactors : thermal stratification, flow-induced vibration, sloshing And also the thermal-hydraulic issues relating compact reactor assembly and RVACS were extracted resulting from a simplification of safety related systems. (2)Evaluation of thermal stratification and striping phenomena. The following order of affects for the phenomena was obtained: (a) Thermal stratification: CO Sodium Lead, (b) Thermal Striping: CO Lead Sodium

JOYO MK-II core plant characteristics test data

JNC TN9410 2000-010, 72 Pages, 2000/03

JNC-TN9410-2000-010.pdf:2.14MB

The experimental fast reactor JOYO served as the MK-II irradiation bed core for testing fuel and material for FBR development for 16 years from 1982 to 1997. During the MK-II core operation, extensive data were accumulated from the plant characteristic tests. Tests conducted at JOYO included operating characteristic tests for confirming operational safety, performance tests for confirming design performance of the MK-II core, and special tests for research and development ofthe plant. In this report, the outline and the results of each test item are shown. These test data can be provided by the magnet-optical disk.

MA transmutation in various fast reactor core concepts

Oki, Shigeo; Iwai, Takehiko*; Jin, Tomoyuki*

JNC TN9400 2000-080, 532 Pages, 2000/03

JNC-TN9400-2000-080.pdf:14.98MB

Transmutation Property of minor actinide nuclides (MA) was analyzed for fast reactor cores having different coolant and fuel types in order to obtain basic data for evaluating an ability of the efficient use of resource and reducing the effect on the environment. The investigated fast reactor cores were (a) sodium cooled and oxide fueled core, (b) lead cooled and nitride fueled core (BREST-300), (c) carbon dioxide gas cooled and oxide fueled core (ETGBR), (d)lead cooled and oxide fueled core, (e) sodium cooled and nitride fueled core (both He-bond and sodium-bond), and (f) sodium cooled and metallic fueled core. Followings were observed for the relation between MA transmutation property and the different types of coolant and fuel of fast reactor core. (1) For the MA transmutation rate, the relation "Oxide Metal Nitride" was found out for difference of fuel type. A main reason of the increment of MA transmutation rate is that the neutron flux level rises on nitride and metallic fueled cores in comparison with oxide core. (2) The relation "Lead Sodium and Carbon dioxide" can be seen for the MA transmutation rate in the difference of coolant, but it is not clear whether the cause is driven from the difference of coolant itself on the difference of core design. (3) The changes of MA transmutation property mentioned above are comparatively small.

Study on improvement of reactor physics analysis method for FBRs with various core concept

*; Kitada, Takanori*; Tagawa, Akihiro; *; Takeda, Toshikazu*

JNC TJ9400 2000-006, 272 Pages, 2000/02

JNC-TJ9400-2000-006.pdf:9.69MB

Investigation was made on the follwing three themes as a part of the improvement of reactor physics analysis method for FBR with various core concept. Part 1: Investigation of Error Estimation of Neutron Spectra in FBR and Suggestions to Improve the Accuracy. In order to improve the spectrum unfolding method used in fast experimental reactor JOYO, a trial was made to evaluate the error in the estimated neutron spectrum, cause by cause. And the evaluated errors were summed up to obtain the most probable and reasonable error as possible. The summed up error was found relatively small compared to the error caused by the uncertainty of cross section data: most of the error in the spectrum unfolding method can be attributed to the error in cross sections. It was also found that the error due to the fission spectrum causes a considerable error in the high energy neutron spectrum which is over several MeV. Part 2: Study on Reactor Physics Analysis Method for Gas-Cooled FBR. In gas-cooled FBR, the portion of coolant channels in core volume is larger than sodium-cooled FBR. This leads to strong neutron streaming effects. For sodium-cooled FBR, several methods were proposed to evaluate the neutron streaming effect, however, these methods can not be used directly to gas-cooled reactor because the direction dependent diffusion coefficient becomes infinitive along the direction pararel to the coolant chammel. In this study, a new method is proposed to evaluate the neutron streaming effect, based on the method taking the axial buckling into consideration, which method was originally proposed by Khler. Part 3: Study on Reactor Physics Analysis Method for Water-Cooled FBR An investigation was made on low-moderated water-cooled FBR, on the point that the ordinary used analysis method for FBR may give considerable difference in results in such core. In light water reactors, it is well known that the space dependence of self-shielding effect of heavy nuclides are considerably ...

Hydrogen and tritium behaviour in Monju; Validation of an analysis code for tritium transport in fast reactor system, TTT, and estimation for Monju full power operation in future

;

JNC TN4400 99-002, 192 Pages, 1999/03

JNC-TN4400-99-002.pdf:7.27MB

The tritium transport analysis code, TTT, has been validated using data from the low power test of Monju, and then its behaviour at along term full power operation of Monju in future has been estimated, when the estimated transport and distribution of tritium in the reactor system has been also compared with the result in Joyo and Phenix, which had been already experienced long term operations. The TTT code had been develpped using the tiritium and hydrogen transport model proposed by R. Kumar, ANL, and had been applied to the evaluation in Monju design work. After then, futhermore, the code has been improved using the data from long term operation of Joyo with MK-II core, and in this work the code has been validated for the first time for Monju data. The results from this work are as follows; (1)Comparison of the best fitted tritium source rates from cores in Joyo, Phenix and Monju makes an estimation of the major source from control rods, (2)The calculated tritium concentration in each medium for cooling and its change is a reasonable agreement to the measured, C/E=1.1, (3)The cover gas transport model cosidering isotopic exchange of H and H can reproduce reasonably the measured concentration distirbution of tritium in sodium and cover gas, (4)The tritium concentration in secondary sodium of Monju was about l/50 times as much as the primary one, which shows the acceraration effect on cold tarapping of tritium due to coprecipitation with permeated hydrogen through Evaporater (EV) heat conduction tube walls. The tritium cold trapping efficiency was estimated to be 1 for coprecipitation with hydrogen and 0.3 for isotopic exchange, respectively, (5)Tritium transport and distribution for along term full power operation of Monju in future was estimated, which could involve a excess factor to 4 at the maximum. The tritium concentration in sodium and Steam Generator (SG) water will be substantially saturated after somthing like 10 years full power operation, ...

Development of analytical model for evaluating temperature fluctuation in coolant (XII); Investigation of stationary random temperature fluctuation characteristics in frequency domain

PNC TN9410 98-013, 48 Pages, 1998/03

PNC-TN9410-98-013.pdf:1.51MB

Thermal striping phenomena characterized by stationary random temperature fluctuation are observed in the region immediately above the core exit of liquid-metal-cooled fast breeder reactors (LMFBRs) due to the interactions of cold sodium flowing out of a control rod (C/R) assembly and hot sodium flowing out of adjacent fuel assemblies (F/As). Therefore the in-vessel components located in the core outlet region, such as upper core structure (UCS), flow guide tube, C/R upper guide tube, etc., must be protected against the stationary random thermal process which might induce high-cycle fatigue. In this study, frequency characteristics of stationary random temperature fluctuations were investigated by the use of the time-series data from parallel impinging jet experiments, TIFFSS-I. From the investigations, the following results have been obtained; [Auto-Power Spectral Density Functions] (1)Higher frequency componets were decreased drastically with the close to the test piece surface, due to the presence of filtering effect by the laminar sub-layer and heat tansfer to the surface from coolant. (2)Dependence to the nozzle velocities was observed at the outside and inside positions of the laminar sub-layer region. It was due to the increasing of turbulent intensities with increase of the nozzle velocities. [Coherence Functions] (1)Coherency between outer temperatures of the laminar sub-layer was very small. 0ne of the main reasons is that the outer temperatures of the laminar sub-1ayer were dominated by the stationary random phenomena of turbulence flows. (2)It was confirmed that the coherency between immediate positions of different thermocouples had relatively higher values. [Transfer Functions] (1)The dominant frequency band of the gain was about 3 - 10 Hz for the transfer functions of the outer position to the inner position of the laminar sub-layer, and of the inner position of the laminar sub-layer to the test piece surface. (2)There wasno dependence of ...