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.

Introduce of friction model into fuel pin bundle deformation analysis code "BAMBOO"

Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Ito, Masahiro*; Ishitani, Ikuo*

JAEA-Technology 2023-006, 36 Pages, 2023/05

JAEA-Technology-2023-006.pdf:3.45MB

The BAMBOO code developed by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency is a computer code to analyze fuel pin bundle deformation in a fast reactor wire-spaced type fuel pin bundle subassembly. In this study we developed an analysis model to consider friction at the contact points between adjacent fuel pins, and at these between outermost fuel pins and a duct that are due to bundle-duct interaction. This model deals with friction forces at contact points in the contact and separation analysis of the code, and employs a convergent calculation where contact forces are gradually determined to avoid numerical instability when the friction occurs. Analyses of BAMBOO with the model showed very slight effects on the onset of contact between outer most pins and a duct, and on directions of pin displacements, within the range of practical friction coefficients.

Development of the simplified boiling model applied for the large scale simulation by the detailed two-phase flow analysis based on the surface tracking

Ono, Ayako; Yamashita, Susumu; Sakashita, Hiroto*; Suzuki, Takayuki*; Yoshida, Hiroyuki

Dai-26-Kai Doryoku, Enerugi Gijutsu Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmepes.2022.26.B211

JAEA is implementing a simulation of a two-phase flow in the reactor core by TPFIT and JUPITER which are developed by JAEA based on the surface tracking method. However, it is impossible to simulate a boiling on the heating surface in the large-scale domain by this type of simulation method since the simulation of boiling based on the surface tracking method needs the fine mesh which sufficiently resolves the initiation of boiling. Therefore, JAEA started to develop the simplified boiling model applied for the two-phase flow in the fuel assemblies. In this study, the simulation results of the convection boiling on a vertical heating surface and the comparison between the simulation results and experimental results are shown.

Systematic measurements and analyses for lead void reactivity worth in a plutonium core and two uranium cores with different enrichments

Fukushima, Masahiro; Goda, J.*; Oizumi, Akito; Bounds, J.*; Cutler, T.*; Grove, T.*; Hayes, D.*; Hutchinson, J.*; McKenzie, G.*; McSpaden, A.*; et al.

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 194(2), p.138 - 153, 2020/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2019.1663089

To validate lead (Pb) nuclear cross sections, a series of integral experiments to measure lead void reactivity worth was conducted systematically in three fast spectra with different fuel compositions on the Comet critical assembly of the National Criticality Experiments Research Center. Previous experiments in a high-enriched uranium (HEU)/Pb and a low-enriched uranium (LEU)/Pb systems had been performed in 2016 and 2017, respectively. A follow-on experiment in a plutonium (Pu)/Pb system has been completed. The Pu/Pb system was constructed using lead plates and weapons grade plutonium plates that had been used in the Zero Power Physics Reactor (ZPPR) of Argonne National Laboratory until the 1990s. Furthermore, the HEU/Pb system was re-examined on the Comet critical assembly installed newly with a device that can guarantee the gap reproducibility with a higher accuracy and precision, and then the experimental data was re evaluated. Using the lead void reactivity worth measured in these three cores with different fuel compositions, the latest nuclear data libraries, JENDL 4.0 and ENDF/B VIII.0, were tested with the Monte Carlo calculation code MCNP version 6.1. As a result, the calculations by ENDF/B-VIII.0 were confirmed to agree with lead void reactivity worth measured in all the cores. It was furthermore found that the calculations by JENDL 4.0 overestimate by more than 20% for the Pu/Pb core while being in good agreements for the HEU/Pb and LEU/Pb cores.

Safety design report on J-PARC Transmutation Physics Experimental Facility (TEF-P)

Partitioning and Transmutation Technology Division, Nuclear Science and Engineering Center

JAEA-Technology 2017-033, 383 Pages, 2018/02

JAEA-Technology-2017-033.pdf:28.16MB

JAEA is pursuing research and development (R&D) on volume reduction and mitigation of degree of harmfulness of high-level radioactive waste. Construction of Transmutation Experimental Facility (TEF) is under planning as one of the second phase facilities in the Japan Proton Accelerator Complex (J-PARC) program to promote R&D on the transmutation technology with using accelerator driven systems (ADS). The TEF consists of two facilities: ADS Target Test Facility (TEF-T) and Transmutation Physics Experimental Facility (TEF-P). Development of spallation target technology and study on target materials are to be conducted in TEF-T with impinging a high intensity proton beam on a liquid lead-bismuth eutectic target. Whereas in TEF-P, by introducing a proton beam to minor actinide loaded cores, reactor physical properties of the cores are to be studied, and operation experiences of ADS are to be acquired. This report summarizes results of safety design for establishment permit of one of two TEF facilities, TEF-P.

Lead void reactivity worth in two critical assembly cores with differing uranium enrichments

Fukushima, Masahiro; Goda, J.*; Bounds, J.*; Cutler, T.*; Grove, T.*; Hutchinson, J.*; James, M.*; McKenzie, G.*; Sanchez, R.*; Oizumi, Akito; et al.

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 189, p.93 - 99, 2018/01

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2017.1373520

To validate lead (Pb) nuclear cross sections, a series of integral experiments to measure lead void reactivity worths was conducted in a high-enriched uranium (HEU)/Pb system and a low enriched uranium (LEU)/Pb system using the Comet Critical Assembly at NCERC. The critical experiments were designed to provide complementary data sets having different sensitivities to scattering cross sections of lead. The larger amount of the U present in the LEU/Pb core increases the neutron importance above 1 MeV compared with the HEU/Pb core. Since removal of lead from the core shifts the neutron spectrum to the higher energy region, positive lead void reactivity worths were observed in the LEU/Pb core while negative values were observed in the HEU/Pb core. Experimental analyses for the lead void reactivity worths were performed with the Monte Carlo calculation code MCNP6.1 together with nuclear data libraries, JENDL 4.0 and ENDF/B VII.1. The calculation values were found to overestimate the experimental ones for the HEU/Pb core while being consistent for the LEU/Pb core.

Thermal-hydraulic analysis of fuel assembly with inner duct structure of an advanced loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor using ASFRE code

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

Proceedings of 25th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-25) (CD-ROM), 12 Pages, 2017/07

In the design study of an advanced loop-type SFR in JAEA, a specific fuel assembly (FA) named FAIDUS (Fuel Assembly with Inner DUct Structure) has been adopted as one of the measures to enhance safety of the reactor. Thermal-hydraulics evaluations of FAIDUS under various operation conditions are required to confirm its design feasibility. In this study, after the applicability of ASFRE to FAs was confirmed through the numerical analysis using simulated FA tests, thermal-hydraulic analyses of a FA without an inner duct and a FAIDUS were conducted. Through the numerical analyses, it was indicated that asymmetric temperature distribution in a FAIDUS would not be occurred and characteristics of the temperature distribution was almost the same as that in a FA without an inner duct. Under the low flow rate condition, it was expected that the local flow acceleration caused by the buoyancy force in a FAIDUS could bring the flow redistribution and make the temperature distribution flat.

Visualization in response analyses for a nuclear power plant

Nakajima, Norihiro; Nishida, Akemi; Miyamura, Hiroko; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Sawa, Kazuhiro

Kashika Joho Gakkai-Shi (USB Flash Drive), 36(Suppl.2), 4 Pages, 2016/10

Since nuclear power plants have dimensions approximately 100m and their structures are an assembly made up of over 10 million components, it is not convenient to experimentally analyze its behavior under strong loads of earthquakes, due to the complexity and hugeness of plants. The proposed system performs numerical simulations to evaluate the behaviors of an assembly like a nuclear facility. The paper discusses how to carry out visual analysis for assembly such as nuclear power plants. In a result discussion, a numerical experiment was carried out with a numerical model of High Temperature engineering Test Reactor of Japan Atomic Energy Agency and its result was compared with observed data. A good corresponding among them was obtained as a structural analysis of an assembly by using visualization. As a conclusion, a visual analytics methodology for assembly is discussed.

Validation of MOSRA-SRAC for burnup of a BWR fuel assembly

Kojima, Kensuke

Proceedings of International Conference on the Physics of Reactors; Unifying Theory and Experiments in the 21st Century (PHYSOR 2016) (USB Flash Drive), p.3283 - 3292, 2016/05

The MOSRA system has been developing to improve the applicability of the neutronic characteristic analyses. The cell calculation module MOSRA-SRAC is a core module of MOSRA, and applicability tests for realistic problems are required. As a test, MOSRA-SRAC is validated by comparison with measured values. As the measurement, the post irradiation examination SFCOMPO 99-5 is chosen. In the examination, the compositions of major heavy metal and fission product nuclides in a UO-GdO fuel rod pulled from the 88 BWR fuel assembly used in TEPCO's Fukushima-Daini-2 were measured. The result shows good agreement between calculated and measured value. For uranium and plutonium nuclides, calculated values agree within 5% except for Pu. Pu composition is overestimated by 30%, and the overestimation is caused by the unclearness of the void faction history of the fuel rod. For fission products, calculated values agree within approximately 10%.

Deuterium Critical Assembly (DCA) Decommissioning work in 2013

Morita, Kenji; Morimoto, Makoto; Hisada, Masaki; Fukui, Yasutaka

JAEA-Technology 2015-037, 28 Pages, 2016/01

JAEA-Technology-2015-037.pdf:8.44MB

Deuterium Critical Assembly (DCA) achieved first critically in 1969 and used for research and development program of Advanced Thermal Reactor. To achieved the aim of facility, DCA decommissioning work started in 2002. Decommissioning schedule consists of 4 stages. The third stage, which is the main work (To dismantle and remove reactor vessel and main equipment), was started in 2008 and will be finished at 2023. This report describes DCA decommissioning work and data (Ability of cutting tools and Man-hours) in 2013.