scholarly journals Mitigation of End-Flux-Peaking in Fresh CANDU Fuel Bundles Using Neutron Absorbers

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan J. C. Pierce ◽  
Paul K. Chan ◽  
Wei Shen
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Natural Uranium ◽  
Axial Flux ◽  
Fission Rate ◽  
Uranium Fuel ◽  
Fuel Bundle ◽  
Flux Profile ◽  
Thin Disks ◽  
Fuel Elements

Abstract End-flux-peaking (EFP) is a phenomenon where a region of elevated neutron flux occurs between two adjoining fuel bundles, leading to an increase in fission rate and therefore greater heat generation. It is known that the addition of neutron absorbers into fuel bundles can mitigate EFP, yet the implementation in Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) type reactors using natural uranium fuel has not been pursued. The computer code Monte Carlo N-Particle code (MCNP) 6.1 was used to develop a three-dimensional CANDU bundle–bundle contact model and simulate the addition of neutron absorbers positioned strategically within various locations of the fuel bundle. The burnable absorbers of interest include Gd2O3 and Eu2O3. The locations investigated include within the end pellets of a fuel stack, within the CANDU lubricant (CANLUB) layer, within thin disks located at the ends of the fuel stack, and alloyed in the endplate. Concentrations of the absorbers were varied to gain better insight into their effect on the thermal neutron axial flux profile of the fuel bundle. The results of the study indicated that adding a combination of ∼4 mg/∼12 mg of Eu2O3 into the pellet adjacent to the end pellet and the end pellet, respectively, at each end of all six of the fuel elements in the inner fuel ring, as well as, ∼2 mg/∼6 mg of Eu2O3 into the same respective pellets, at each end of the 18 fuel elements in the outer fuel ring, provides the most effective mitigation of the EFP phenomena in fresh CANDU fuel bundles.

Investigation of Quench-16 Experiment With MELCOR Computer Code

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petya Vryashkova ◽  
Pavlin Groudev ◽  
Antoaneta Stefanova
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Initial Temperature ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Air Flow Rate ◽  
Fuel Rod ◽  
Fuel Bundle ◽  
Oxygen Starvation ◽  
Air Ingress ◽  
Good Agreement

This paper presents a comparison of MELCOR calculated results with experimental data for the QUENCH-16 experiment. The analysis for the air ingress experiment QUENCH-16 has been performed by INRNE. The calculations have been performed with MELCOR code. The QUENCH-16 experiment has been performed on 27-th of July 2011 in the frame of the EC-supported LACOMECO program. The experiments have focused on air ingress investigation into an overheated core following earlier partial oxidation in steam. QUENCH-16 has been performed with limited pre-oxidation and low air flow rate. One of the main objectives of QUENCH-16 was to examine the interaction between nitrogen and oxidized cladding during a prolonged period of oxygen starvation. The bundle is made from 20 heated fuel rod simulators arranged in two concentric rings and one unheated central fuel rod simulator, each about 2.5 m long. The tungsten heaters were surrounded by annular ZrO2 pellets to simulate the UO2 fuel. The geometry and most other bundle components are prototypical for Western-type PWRs. To improve the obtained results it has been made a series of calculations to select an appropriate initial temperature of the oxidation of the fuel bundle and modified correlation oxidation of Zircaloy with MELCOR computer code. The compared results have shown good agreement of calculated hydrogen and oxygen starvation in comparison with test data.

A Three-Dimensional Finite Difference Solution for the Thermal Stresses in Railcar Wheels

1969 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 891-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Novak ◽  
B. J. Eck
Keyword(s):  
Computer Program ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Transient Temperature ◽  
Shear Stresses ◽  
Radial Temperature ◽  
Closed Form Solutions ◽  
Brake Application ◽  
History Of ◽  
Thin Disks

A numerical solution is presented for both the transient temperature and three-dimensional stress distribution in a railcar wheel resulting from a simulated emergency brake application. A computer program has been written for generating thermoelastic solutions applicable to wheels of arbitrary contour with temperature variations in both axial and radial directions. The results include the effect of shear stresses caused by the axial-radial temperature gradients and the high degree of boundary irregularity associated with this type of problem. The program has been validated by computing thermoelastic solutions for thin disks and long cylinders; the computed values being in good agreement with the closed form solutions. Currently, the computer program is being extended to general stress solutions corresponding to the transient temperature distributions obtained by simulated drag brake applications. When this work is completed, it will be possible to synthesize the thermal history of a railcar wheel and investigate the effects of wheel geometry in relation to thermal fatigue.

scholarly journals Computation of Three-Dimensional, Rotational Flow Through Turbomachinery Blade Rows for Improved Aerodynamic Design Studies

1986 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. V. Subramanian ◽  
R. Bozzola ◽  
Louis A. Povinelli
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Maximum Flow ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Integration Scheme ◽  
Aerodynamic Design ◽  
Design Studies ◽  
Flow Equations ◽  
Transonic Compressor ◽  
Numerical Predictions

The performance of a three dimensional computer code developed for predicting the flowfield in stationary and rotating turbomachinery blade rows is described in this study. The four stage Runge-Kutta numerical integration scheme is used for solving the governing flow equations and yields solution to the full, three dimensional, unsteady Euler equations in cylindrical coordinates. This method is fully explicit and uses the finite volume, time marching procedure. In order to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the code, steady solutions were obtained for several cascade geometries under widely varying flow conditions. Computed flowfield results are presented for a fully subsonic turbine stator and a low aspect ratio, transonic compressor rotor blade under maximum flow and peak efficiency design conditions. Comparisons with Laser Anemometer measurements and other numerical predictions are also provided to illustrate that the present method predicts important flow features with good accuracy and can be used for cost effective aerodynamic design studies.

Pellet-Cladding Interaction of LMFBR Fuel Elements at Unsteady State: An Introduction to Computer Code ISUNE-5

1981 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. Ma
Keyword(s):  
Reactor Core ◽  
Fatigue Cracking ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Fuel Burnup ◽  
Fuel Pellet ◽  
Gas Release ◽  
Unsteady State ◽  
Fission Gas ◽  
Fuel Elements ◽  
Fission Gas Release

The fuel pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) of liquid-metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) fuel elements or fuel rods at unsteady state is analyzed and discussed based on experimental results. In the analyses, the heat generation, fuel restructuring, temperature distribution, gap conductance, irradiation swelling, irradiation creep, fuel burnup, fission gas release, fuel pellet cracking, crack healing, cladding cracking, yield failure and fracture failure of the fuel elements are taken into consideration. To improve the sintered (U,Pu)O2 fuel performance and reactor core safety at high temperature and fuel burnup, it is desirable to (a) increase and maintain the ductility of cladding material, (b) provide sufficient gap thickness and plenum space for accommodating fission gas release, (c) keep ramps-power increase rate slow and gentle, and (d) reduce the intensity and frequency of transient PCI in order to avoid intense stress fatigue cracking (SFC) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) due to fission product compounds CsI, CdI2, Cs2Te, etc. at the inner cladding surface of the fuel elements during PCI.

Integrity Assessment of Damaged Flexible Pipe Cross-Sections

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guomin Ji ◽  
Bernt J. Leira ◽  
Svein Sævik ◽  
Frank Klæbo ◽  
Gunnar Axelsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Flexible Pipe ◽  
Dynamic Stresses ◽  
Integrity Assessment ◽  
Residual Capacity ◽  
Nonlinear Finite Element Model

This paper presents results from a case study performed to evaluate the residual capacity of a 6″ flexible pipe when exposed to corrosion damages in the tensile armour. A three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model was developed using the computer code MARC to evaluate the increase in mean and dynamic stresses for a given number of damaged inner tensile armor wires. The study also includes the effect of these damages with respect to the associated stresses in the pressure spiral. Furthermore, the implications of a sequence of wire failures with respect to the accumulated time until cross-section failure in a probabilistic sense are addressed.

Ingestion Into the Upstream Wheelspace of an Axial Turbine Stage

1994 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Green ◽  
A. B. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Distribution ◽  
Static Pressure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Rotor Speed ◽  
Turbine Stage ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Static Pressure Distribution ◽  
Axial Clearance

The upstream wheelspace of an axial air turbine stage complete with nozzle guide vanes (NGVs) and rotor blades (430 mm mean diameter) has been tested with the objective of examining the combined effect of NGVs and rotor blades on the level of mainstream ingestion for different seal flow rates. A simple axial clearance seal was used with the rotor spun up to 6650 rpm by drawing air through it from atmospheric pressure with a large centrifugal compressor. The effect of rotational speed was examined for several constant mainstream flow rates by controlling the rotor speed with an air brake. The circumferential variation in hub static pressure was measured at the trailing edge of the NGVs upstream of the seal gap and was found to affect ingestion significantly. The hub static pressure distribution on the rotor blade leading edges was rotor speed dependent and could not be measured in the experiments. The Denton three-dimensional C.F.D. computer code was used to predict the smoothed time-dependent pressure field for the rotor together with the pressure distribution downstream of the NGVs. The level and distribution of mainstream ingestion, and thus the seal effectiveness, was determined from nitrous oxide gas concentration measurements and related to static pressure measurements made throughout the wheelspace. With the axial clearance rim seal close to the rotor the presence of the blades had a complex effect. Rotor blades in connection with NGVs were found to reduce mainstream ingestion seal flow rates significantly, but a small level of ingestion existed even for very high levels of seal flow rate.

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