Development of a design optimization framework for sodium-cooled fast reactors, 2; Development of optimization analysis control function

Doda, Norihiro; Nakamine, Yoshiaki*; Kuwagaki, Kazuki; Hamase, Erina; Kikuchi, Norihiro; Yoshimura, Kazuo; Matsushita, Kentaro; Tanaka, Masaaki

Keisan Kogaku Koenkai Rombunshu (CD-ROM), 28, 5 Pages, 2023/05

As a part of the development of the "Advanced Reactor Knowledge- and AI-aided Design Integration Approach through the whole plant lifecycle (ARKADIA)" to automatically optimize the life cycle of innovative nuclear reactors including fast reactors, ARKADIA-design is being developed to support the optimization of fast reactor in the conceptual design stage. ARKADIA-Design consists of three systems (Virtual plant Life System (VLS), Evaluation assistance and Application System (EAS), and Knowledge Management System (KMS)). A design optimization framework controls the connection between the three systems through the interfaces in each system. This paper reports on the development of an optimization analysis control function that performs design optimization analysis combining plant behavior analysis by VLS and optimization study by EAS.

Assessment of the infiltration behaviour of buffer material in seawater-type groundwater environments using a coupled THMC analysis model (Contract research)

Suzuki, Hideaki*; Takayama, Yusuke; Sato, Hisashi*; Watahiki, Takanori*; Sato, Daisuke*

JAEA-Research 2022-013, 41 Pages, 2023/03

JAEA-Research-2022-013.pdf:3.99MB

It is anticipated that the coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical and chemical (THMC) processes will occur, involving an interactive process with radioactive decay heat arising from the vitrified waste, infiltration of groundwater from the host rock into the buffer material, swelling pressure of buffer material due to its saturation and chemical reaction between bentonite and pore-water in the near-field of a geological disposal system for high-level radioactive waste repository. In order to evaluate these phenomena in the near-field, the THMC model has been developed. In this study, For the purpose of evaluating the near-field infiltration behavior in seawater-type groundwater environment, a hydraulic model was set in which the permeability of the buffer material change depending on the salt concentration in the pore-water. In order to evaluate the drying phenomenon of the buffer material due to waste heat, a temperature gradient water transfer model was set in consideration of the dependence of temperature and pore-water saturation. The THMC analysis of the in-situ experiment of engineered barrier system (EBS) experiment at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory was carried out. The validity of the model was then checked through comparison with measured data.

Application of 1D-CFD coupling method to unprotected loss of heat sink event in EBR-II focusing on thermal stratification in cold pool

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Fujisaki, Tatsuya*; Igawa, Kenichi*; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of 29th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 29) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2022/08

To confirm the applicability of the reactivity model, the authors have been conducting the benchmark exercises of the unprotected loss of heat sink event tests in a pool-type experimental fast reactor EBR-II. In the blind phase in the benchmark analyses using the plant dynamics analysis (1D) code in which the cold pool was modeled by means of the perfect mixing volume, it was found the increase of the core inlet temperature was evaluated lower than that of the measured data and the feedback reactivity was underestimated, because the thermal stratification in the cold pool was ignored. Then, the detailed model of the cold pool for the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code was introduced and the 1D-CFD codes coupling method was applied to the benchmark analyses. It was confirmed that both the thermal stratification in the cold pool and the increase of the core inlet temperature were successfully reproduced.

Development of a design optimization framework for sodium-cooled fast reactors; Development of coupled analysis control function

Doda, Norihiro; Nakamine, Yoshiaki*; Igawa, Kenichi*; Iwasaki, Takashi*; Murakami, Satoshi*; Tanaka, Masaaki

Keisan Kogaku Koenkai Rombunshu (CD-ROM), 27, 6 Pages, 2022/06

As a part of the development of the "Advanced Reactor Knowledge- and AI-aided Design Integration Approach through the whole plant lifecycle (ARKADIA)" to automatically optimize the life cycle of innovative nuclear reactors including fast reactors, ARKADIA-design is being developed to support the optimization of fast reactor design in the conceptual stage. ARKADIA-Design consists of three systems (Virtual plant Life System (VLS), Evaluation assistance and Application System (EAS), and Knowledge Management System (KMS)). A design optimization framework controls the cooperation between the three systems through the interfaces in each system. This paper reports on the development status of the "VLS interface," which has a control function of coupling analysis codes in VLS.

Development of 1D-CFD coupling method through benchmark analyses of SHRT tests in EBR-II

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Tanaka, Masaaki; Fujisaki, Tatsuya*; Murakami, Satoshi*; Vilim, R. B.*

Proceedings of 19th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-19) (Internet), 16 Pages, 2022/03

In Japan Atomic Energy Agency, the multilevel simulation system which enables consistent evaluation from the whole plant behavior to the local phenomena is being developed to optimize plant design and enhance the safety of sodium-cooled fast reactors. To validate the coupling method in the MLS system, the 1D-CFD coupling method using Super-COPD for 1D plant dynamics analysis and Fluent for multi-dimensional CFD analysis was applied to the analyses of loss of flow tests in EBR-II. It was confirmed that it could predict multi-dimensional thermal-hydraulic phenomena such as thermal stratification in the upper plenum, Z-shaped pipe, and cold pool, holding the whole plant behavior simultaneously. Moreover, the applicability of the 1D-CFD coupling method to the evaluation of the phenomena in natural circulation conditions was confirmed by comparing the results of the 1D-CFD couple analyses and the measured data.

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.

Impact assessment of density change on the buffer material on the coupled thermal-hydraulic and mechanical (THM) behavior in the near-field (Contract research)

Suzuki, Hideaki*; Takayama, Yusuke

JAEA-Research 2020-015, 52 Pages, 2020/12

JAEA-Research-2020-015.pdf:3.83MB

It is anticipated that the coupled thermal hydraulic and mechanical (THM) processes will occur, involving an interactive process with radioactive decay heat arising from the vitrified waste, infiltration of groundwater from the host rock into the buffer material, swelling pressure of buffer material due to its saturation in the near-field of a geological disposal system for high-level radioactive waste repository. In order to evaluate these phenomena in the near-field, the THM model has been developed. In this report, the density dependence of thermal, hydraulic and mechanical properties of the buffer material was investigated to evaluate the near-field environment. These density dependence schemes were added to the coupled THM model. The THM analysis of the in-situ experiment of engineered barrier system (EBS) experiment at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory was carried out. As a result, the effect of the density change of the buffer material on the temperature and infiltration behavior of buffer material was found. A case analysis on the long-term behavior of the near field was also carried out. Then, the behavior that the buffer material swelled out toward the backfill material and the density of the buffer material decreasing was shown.

Effect of water vapor on re-saturation process in EBS performance of re-saturation process by Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical coupled analysis

Sato, Shin*; Ono, Hirokazu; Tanai, Kenji; Yamamoto, Shuichi*; Fukaya, Masaaki*; Shimura, Tomoyuki*; Niunoya, Sumio*

Jiban Kogaku Janaru (Internet), 15(3), p.529 - 541, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.3208/jgs.15.529

no abstracts in English

Collection of measurement data from in-situ experiment for performance confirmation of engineered barrier system at Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (until March, 2018)

Nakayama, Masashi; Ono, Hirokazu; Nakayama, Mariko*; Kobayashi, Masato*

JAEA-Data/Code 2019-003, 57 Pages, 2019/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2019-003.pdf:18.12MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2019-003-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:99.74MB

The Horonobe URL Project has being pursued by JAEA to enhance the reliability of relevant disposal technologies through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary formation at Horonobe, northern Hokkaido. The URL Project consists of two major research areas, Geoscientific Research and Research and Development on Geological Disposal Technologies, and proceeds in 3 overlapping phases, Phase I: Surface-based investigations, Phase II: Investigations during tunnel excavation and Phase III: Investigations in the URL, over a period of around 20 years. Phase III investigation was started in 2010 FY. The in-situ experiment for performance confirmation of engineered barrier system had been prepared from 2013 to 2014 FY at GL-350 m gallery, and heating by electric heater in simulated overpack had started in January, 2015. One of objectives of the experiment is acquiring data concerned with THMC coupled behavior. These data will be used in order to confirm the performance of engineered barrier system. This report summarizes the measurement data acquired from the experiment from December, 2014 to March, 2018. The summarized data of the EBS experiment will be published periodically.

Conceptual design study of beam window for accelerator-driven system with subcriticality adjustment rod

Sugawara, Takanori; Eguchi, Yuta; Obayashi, Hironari; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 331, p.11 - 23, 2018/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2018.02.011

This study aims to perform the coupled analysis for the feasible beam window concept. To mitigate the design condition, namely to reduce the necessary proton beam current, subcriticality adjustment rod (SAR) was installed to the ADS core. The burnup analysis was performed for the ADS core with SAR and the results indicated that the maximum proton beam current during the burnup cycle was reduced from 20 to 13.5 mA. Based on the burnup analysis result, the coupled analysis; particle transport, thermal hydraulics and structural analyses, was performed. As the final result, the most robust beam window design; the hemisphere shape, the outer radius = 235 mm, the thickness at the top of the beam window = 3.5 mm and the factor of safety for the buckling = 9.0, was presented. The buckling pressure was 2.2 times larger than the previous one and more feasible beam window concept was presented through this study.