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

Yoshikawa, Ryuji; Imai, Yasutomo*; Kikuchi, Norihiro; Tanaka, Masaaki; Ohshima, Hiroyuki

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

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2249707

In the study of safety enhancement on advanced sodium-cooled fast reactor, it is essential to clarify the thermal-hydraulics under various operation conditions in a fuel assembly (FA) with the wire-wrapped fuel pins to assess the structural integrity of the fuel pin. A finite element thermal-hydraulics analysis code named SPIRAL has been developed to analyze the detailed thermal-hydraulics phenomena in a FA. In this study, the numerical simulations of the 37-pin bundle sodium experiments at different Re number conditions, including a transitional condition between laminar and turbulent flows and turbulent flow conditions, were performed to validate the hybrid turbulence model equipped in SPIRAL. The temperature distributions predicted by SPIRAL was consistent with those measured in the experiments. Through the validation study, the applicability of the hybrid turbulence model in SPIRAL to thermal-hydraulic evaluation of sodium-cooled FA in the wide range of Re number was confirmed.

Application of a first-order method to estimate the failure probability of component subjected to thermal transients for optimization of design parameters

Okajima, Satoshi; Mori, Takero; Kikuchi, Norihiro; Tanaka, Masaaki; Miyazaki, Masashi

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 10(4), p.23-00042_1 - 23-00042_12, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1299/mej.23-00042

In this paper, we propose the simplified procedure to estimate failure probability of components subjected to thermal transient for the design optimization. Failure probability can be commonly used as an indicator of component integrity for various failure mechanisms. In order to reduce number of analyses required for one estimation, we have adopted the First Order Second Moment (FOSM) method as the estimation method of failure probability on the process of the optimization, and an orthogonal table in experiment design method is utilized to define conditions of the analyses for the evaluation of the input parameters for the FOSM method. The superposition of ramp responses is also utilized to evaluate the time history of thermal transient stress instead of finite element analysis. Through the demonstration study to optimize thickness of cylindrical vessel subjected to thermal transient derived from shutdown, we confirmed that the procedure can evaluate the failure probability depending on the cylinder thickness with practical calculation cost.

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.

Development of structural design optimization process for an advanced sodium-cooled fast reactor

Kikuchi, Norihiro; Mori, Takero; Okajima, Satoshi; Tanaka, Masaaki; Miyazaki, Masashi

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2023/05

JAEA is developing an evaluation system aided by artificial intelligence (AI) named ARKADIA (Advanced Reactor Knowledge- and AI-aided Design Integration Approach through the whole plant lifecycle). A sub-system of it, named ARKADIA-Design, is being developed to support the design optimization study for an advanced nuclear plant including a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). Authors are developing a design optimization process for the structure of the component in SFR. This paper describes the outline of a design optimization process, the brief introduction of evaluation methods for the process, and the result of the demonstration of the optimization process for a feasibility study. The development is being performed in a representative problem considering the thermal transient and seismic motion as a major issue in SFRs. Through the demonstration, it was confirmed that the optimization process under development may provide an optimal solution to the representative problem.

Development of safety design technologies for sodium-cooled fast reactor coupled to thermal energy storage system with sodium-molten salt heat exchanger

Yamano, Hidemasa; Kurisaka, Kenichi; Takano, Kazuya; Kikuchi, Shin; Kondo, Toshiki; Umeda, Ryota; Shirakura, Shota*; Hayashi, Masaaki*

Proceedings of 8th International Conference on New Energy and Future Energy Systems (NEFES 2023) (Internet), p.27 - 34, 2023/00

https://doi.org/10.3233/ATDE231072

This project studies investigation on safety design guideline and risk assessment technology for sodium-cooled fast reactor with the molten-salt heat storage system, development of evaluation method for heat transferring performance between sodium and molten-salt and improvement of the performance, and evaluation of chemical reaction characteristic between sodium and molten-salt and improvement of its safety. The project overview is presented in this report.

Automatization of parametric analyses of influence factor on load derived from thermal transient in design optimization method for plant structure in sodium-cooled fast reactor

Kikuchi, Norihiro; Mori, Takero; Okajima, Satoshi; Tanaka, Masaaki; Miyazaki, Masashi

Dai-26-Kai Doryoku, Enerugi Gijutsu Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 5 Pages, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmepes.2022.26.A223

In JAEA, the design optimization method for plant structure has been developed on the process to output optimal solution of the thickness of reactor vessel wall against thermal transient and seismic loads in a SFR as a representative problem. Resistance characteristic of the wall on the load derived from thermal transient is one of the most important factors for safety estimation on the structural integrity. Failure probability of components against thermal transient was set to one of variables in the objective function for a common scale to compare with other variables in different failure mechanisms. In the iterative process to achieve the optimal solution, a number of evaluations to measure the influence on the load derived from thermal transient was necessarily conducted. More reduction of required time for evaluations is desired. To perform the iterative evaluation process efficiently, the automatization of parametric analyses was implemented in the optimization process.

Development of multi-level simulation system for core thermal-hydraulics coupled with plant dynamics analysis; Prediction of transient temperature distribution in a subassembly under inter-subassembly heat transfer effect

Doda, Norihiro; Hamase, Erina; Kikuchi, Norihiro; Tanaka, Masaaki

Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR22) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2022/04

In conventional design studies of sodium-cooled fast reactors, plant dynamics and local phenomena were evaluated separately by using simple models and detailed models, respectively, and their interaction was considered through the boundary conditions settings with conservativeness for each individual analysis. Thus, the final result through the analyses may contain excessive conservativeness. Therefore, JAEA began to develop a multi-level simulation system in which detailed analysis codes are coupled with a plant dynamics analysis code. Focusing on core thermal-hydraulics, a coupled analysis method using a plant dynamics analysis code Super-COPD and a subchannel analysis code ASFRE has been developed. The analysis on a test in the experimental fast reactor EBR-II was performed to validate the coupled analysis. Through the comparison of the analysis results and the measurement, it was confirmed that the coupled analysis could predict the transient temperature distribution in the subassembly, and the multi-level simulation by changing the level of detail in analysis model could be performed for core thermal-hydraulics.

Investigation of applicability of subchannel analysis code ASFRE on thermal hydraulics analysis in fuel assembly with inner duct structure in sodium cooled fast reactor

Kikuchi, Norihiro; Imai, Yasutomo*; Yoshikawa, Ryuji; Doda, Norihiro; Tanaka, Masaaki

Proceedings of 28th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 28) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE28-65662

In the design study of an advanced sodium-cooled fast reactor (Advanced-SFR) in JAEA, the use of a specific fuel assembly (FA) with an inner duct structure called FAIDUS has been investigated to enhance safety of Advanced-SFR. Due to the asymmetric layout of fuel rods by the inner duct, it is necessary to estimate the temperature distribution to confirm feasibility of FAIDUS. For the FAIDUS, confirmation of validity of the numerical results by a subchannel analysis code named ASFRE was not enough because the reference data on the thermal hydraulics in FAIDUS have not been obtained by the mock-up experiment, yet. Therefore, the code-to-code comparisons with numerical results of ASFRE and those of a CFD code named SPIRAL was conducted. The applicability of ASFRE was indicated through the confirmation of the consistency of mechanism of the specific temperature and velocity distributions appearing around the inner duct between the numerical results by ASFRE and those by SPIRAL.

Annual report on the effluent control of low level liquid waste in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories FY2019

Nakano, Masanao; Fujii, Tomoko; Nagaoka, Mika; Koike, Yuko; Yamada, Ryohei; Kubota, Tomohiro; Yoshii, Hideki*; Otani, Kazunori*; Hiyama, Yoshinori*; Kikuchi, Masaaki*; et al.

JAEA-Review 2020-070, 120 Pages, 2021/02

JAEA-Review-2020-070.pdf:2.47MB

Based on the regulations (the safety regulation of Tokai Reprocessing Plant, the safety regulation of nuclear fuel material usage facilities, the radiation safety rule, the regulation about prevention from radiation hazards due to radioisotopes, which are related with the nuclear regulatory acts, the local agreement concerning with safety and environment conservation around nuclear facilities, the water pollution control law, and by law of Ibaraki Prefecture), the effluent control of liquid waste discharged from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories of Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been performed. This report describes the effluent control results of the liquid waste in the fiscal year 2019. In this period, the concentrations and the quantities of the radioactivity in liquid waste discharged from the reprocessing plant, the plutonium fuel fabrication facilities, and the other nuclear fuel material usage facilities were much lower than the limits authorized by the above regulations.

Annual report on the effluent control of low level liquid waste in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories FY2018

Nakano, Masanao; Fujii, Tomoko; Nagaoka, Mika; Inoue, Kazumi; Koike, Yuko; Yamada, Ryohei; Yoshii, Hideki*; Otani, Kazunori*; Hiyama, Yoshinori*; Kikuchi, Masaaki*; et al.

JAEA-Review 2019-045, 120 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Review-2019-045.pdf:2.54MB

Based on the regulations (the safety regulation of Tokai Reprocessing Plant, the safety regulation of nuclear fuel material usage facilities, the radiation safety rule, the regulation about prevention from radiation hazards due to radioisotopes, which are related with the nuclear regulatory acts, the local agreement concerning with safety and environment conservation around nuclear facilities, the water pollution control law, and by law of Ibaraki Prefecture), the effluent control of liquid waste discharged from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories of Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been performed. This report describes the effluent control results of the liquid waste in the fiscal year 2018. In this period, the concentrations and the quantities of the radioactivity in liquid waste discharged from the reprocessing plant, the plutonium fuel fabrication facilities, and the other nuclear fuel material usage facilities were much lower than the limits authorized by the above regulations.