scholarly journals Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis of Coolant Flow Decrease in Fuel Channels of Smolensk-3 RBMK during GDH Blockage Event

2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
A. Lombardi Costa ◽  
M. Cherubini ◽  
F. D'Auria ◽  
W. Giannotti ◽  
A. Moskalev

One of the transients that have received considerable attention in the safety evaluation of RBMK reactors is the partial break of a group distribution header (GDH). The coolant flow rate blockage in one GDH might lead to excessive heat-up of the pressure tubes and can result in multiple fuel channels (FC) ruptures. In this work, the GDH flow blockage transient has been studied considering the Smolensk-3 RBMK NPP (nuclear power plant). In the RBMK, each GDH distributes coolant to 40–43 FC. To investigate the behavior of each FC belonging to the damaged GDH and to have a more realistic trend, one (affected) GDH has been schematized with its forty-two FC, one by one. The calculations were performed using the 0-D NK (neutron kinetic) model of the RELAP5-3.3 stand-alone code. The results show that, during the event, the mass flow rate is disturbed differently according to the power distribution established for each FC in the schematization. The start time of the oscillations in mass flow rate depends strongly on the attributed power to each FC. It was also observed that, during the event, the fuel channels at higher thermal power values tend to undergo first cladding rupture leaving the reactor to scram and safeguarding all the other FCs connected to the affected GDH.

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 480-487
Author(s):  
Vedran Mrzljak ◽  
Sandi Baressi Šegota ◽  
Hrvoje Meštrić ◽  
Zlatan Car

The paper presents an analysis of two steam turbine operation regimes - regime with all steam extractions opened (base process) and regime with all steam extractions closed. Closing of all steam extractions significantly increases turbine real developed power for 5215.88 kW and increases turbine energy and exergy losses with simultaneous decrease of turbine energy and exergy efficiencies for more than 2%. First extracted steam mass flow rate has a dominant influence on turbine power losses (in comparison to turbine maximum power when all of steam extractions are closed). Cumulative power losses caused by steam mass flow rate extractions are the highest in the fourth turbine segment and equal to 1687.82 kW.


Author(s):  
Pascal Lemaitre ◽  
Emmanuel Porcheron

During the course of a hypothetical accident in a nuclear power plant, spray might be activated in order to reduce static pressure in the containment. To have a better understanding of the heat and mass transfers between a spray and the surrounding confined gas, the IRSN has developed the TOSQAN experiment. This article is devoted to analyse the influence of the injected spray mass flow rate on the thermal-hydraulic of spray tests. In order to perform this analysis, two other tests are performed with exactly the same boundary and initial conditions, except the spray mass flow rate that ranges from 10 to 50 g.s−1. First, the scenario of these three tests and the associated results used for this analysis are presented. Then, we focus our analysis on the inter-comparison of the thermal-hydraulic behaviour induced by spray mass flow rates variations. This inter-comparison is divided into two parts: a global and a local one.


Author(s):  
Chunhui Dai ◽  
Mengran Liao ◽  
Qi Xiao ◽  
Jun Wu ◽  
Shaodan Li ◽  
...  

Steam submerged jetting is an important process in depressurization tank and condenser deaerator tank of nuclear power plant. As the steam contact the liquid water directly, some complicated behaviors such as strong turbulence and phase transition would happens. Especially when the sub-cooling degree is low, the condensation may cause vigorous pressure pulsation and radiation noise, which not only causes noise damage to workers but also affect the safety of the heat exchanger tubes bundle because of vibration transmission. An experiment is proposed to study the complex evolutionary behavior and vibration and noise characteristics of gas-water two-phase flow. The experimental results show that in the case of low subcooling, the mass flow rate of steam has a great influence on gas plume, and, as the mass flow rate increases, the main contribution frequency of noise is gradually increasing from low frequency to high frequency. The researches in this paper can provide the technical basis for the design of the deoxygenation system of condenser in onshore and ship nuclear power plant.


Author(s):  
Li Ren ◽  
Peng Minjun ◽  
Xia Genglei ◽  
Zhao Yanan

The FNPP (Floating Nuclear Power Plant) expanded the application field of Integrated Pressurized Water Reactor (IPWR) in the movable marine platform, it is necessary to study the natural circulation flow characteristics in heaving motion on the ocean. From the characteristics of FNPP, by means of THEATRe code which was based on the two-phase drift flux model and was modified by adding module calculating the effect of heaving motion, the simulation model in heaving motion was built. Using the models developed, the natural circulation operating characteristics of natural circulation in heaving motion and the transitions between forced circulation and natural circulation are analyzed. In the case of amplitude limited, the periods of mass flow rate are equal to periods of heaving motion. The oscillation amplitude of mass flow rate increases with the heaving amplitude increase. In the case of period limited, the natural circulation flow rate oscillating amplitude increases with the heaving period increases. The result obtained are not only evaluating FNPP design behavior properly but also pointing out the direction to further optimum design to ensure FNPP operating safety in heaving motion.


Author(s):  
Arnold Gad-Briggs ◽  
Pericles Pilidis

The Design Point (DP) performance of a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is fairly straightforward to establish for a given mass flow rate, turbomachinery compressor Pressure Ratio (PR) and reactor Core Outlet Temperature (COT). The plant components are optimum for that point but this is no longer the case if the plant’s operating conditions are changed for part-load performance. Data from tests or previous operating experiences are useful in determining typical part load performance of components based on characteristic maps. However, when individual components are linked in a plant, the range of operating points for part load performances are severely reduced. The main objective of this study is to derive Off-Design Points (ODPs) for the Simple Cycle Recuperated (SCR) and Intercooled Cycle Recuperated (ICR) when considering a temperature range of −35 to 50°C and COTs between 750 to 1000°C, using a modelling & performance simulation tool designed specifically for this study, which calculates the best operational equilibrium ODPs that are critical to the economics of the NPP. Results show that the recuperator High-Pressure (HP) side and reactor pressure losses alter the actual operating parameters (mass flow rate and compressor PR). The SCR yielded a drop in plant cycle efficiency of 1% for a 4% pressure loss in comparison to the ICR (5%) for the same amount of recuperator HP losses. Other parameters such as the precooler and recuperator Low-Pressure (LP) losses still retain the same operating inlet PRs and mass flow rates regardless of the magnitude of the losses. In the absence of characteristic maps in the public domain, the ODPs have been used to produce characteristic trend maps for first order ODP calculations. The analyses intend to aid the development of cycles for Generation IV NPPs specifically Gas Cooled Fast Reactors (GFRs) and Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTRs), where helium is the coolant.


2013 ◽  
Vol 431 ◽  
pp. 137-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Minotti ◽  
F. Cozzi ◽  
F. Capelli

Improvements in understanding how to design future mesocombustors, currently under rapid development in particular for propulsion, e.g., for UAVs, and as meso-electrical power generators, are mandatory. In view of this scenario and, to advances previous analysis carried out at ambient pressure by the authors, the numerical and experimental investigation of a 254 mm3swirling cylindrical mesocombustor, fed by methane/air at an equivalence ratio =0.7 and at 3 bar, has been performed. The combustion pressure has been chosen based on the values quoted in literature for centimeter sized gas turbine.Exhaust gas temperature and composition have been measured for several mass flow rates. A reduction in chemical efficiency is observed by increasing the input thermal power (i.e. the total mass flow rate) at fixed equivalence ratio due to the shorter gas residence time.The operative condition corresponding to high efficiency and smaller mass flow rate has been numerically investigated adopting the RANS k-ε approach, with finite rate chemistry kinetic mechanism (GRIMech 1.2, 32 species and 177 reactions) and the EDC turbulence-combustion coupling model.Gas temperature at the exhaust section and chemicalefficiency are predicted and compared with the corresponding experiment.Numerical and experimental results show to be in fair agreement, and the predicted chemical efficiency differs from the measured value of about 1 %. Despite the small size of the meso-combustor, it is possible to achieve a relatively high combustion efficiency, making it suitable for miniaturized power generation devices.The relatively high chemical efficiency is due to the relatively long average gas residence time and to a wide recirculation zone that provide heat and radicals to the flame, coupled with the fairly good mixing due to swirl motion and the impinging air/fuel jets.


Author(s):  
Samuel Mer ◽  
Jean-Paul Thibault ◽  
Christophe Corre

A technological barrier for long-duration space missions using cryogenic propulsion is the control of the propellant tank self-pressurization (SP). Since the cryogenic propellant submitted to undesired heat load tends to vaporize, the resulting pressure rise must be controlled to prevent storage failure. The thermodynamic vent system (TVS) is one of the possible control strategies. A TVS system has been investigated using on-ground experiments with simulant fluid. Previous experiments performed in the literature have reported difficulties to manage the thermal boundary condition at the tank wall; spurious thermal effects induced by the tank environment spoiled the tank power balance accuracy. This paper proposes to improve the experimental tank power balance, thanks to the combined use of an active insulation technique, a double envelope thermalized by a water loop which yields a net zero heat flux boundary condition and an electrical heating coil delivering a thermal power Pc∈[0−360] W, which accurately sets the tank thermal input. The simulant fluid is the NOVEC1230 fluoroketone, allowing experiments at room temperature T ∈ [40–60] °C. Various SP and TVS experiments are performed with this new and improved apparatus. The proposed active tank insulation technique yields quasi-adiabatic wall condition for all experiments. For TVS control at a given injection temperature, the final equilibrium state depends on heat load and the injection mass flow rate. The cooling dynamics is determined by the tank filling and the injection mass flow rate but does not depend on the heat load Pc.


Vestnik IGEU ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 19-26
Author(s):  
A.M. Samoilov ◽  
A.A. Sataev ◽  
A.A. Blokhin ◽  
V.V. Ivanov

Safety is the key requirement to any nuclear power installation. Various factors affect safety during operation of the nuclear power installation. These factors are difficult to study due to the high economic costs. This problem can be solved by developing prototype models to conduct the research of many complex processes. Dynamic impact on the ship installation is one of these processes. The most significant impact is the impact on the natural circulation of the coolant, that is one of the basic emergency safety systems. Also, it is a promising way to ensure movement in the main circulation circuit. The purpose of this paper is to assess the influence of external dynamic forces on the processes of natural circulation. For the study a testing bench has been developed that simulates one of the circulation loops of the reactor unit. The basic method to obtain experimental data is temperature sounding of the specific sections of the circulation route. A mathematical model has been developed that describes this process. The model is based on the equations of momentum conservation and heat balance. In accordance with the experimental data, the calculation of natural circulation for static and dynamic modes has been carried out. A mathematical model to describe this process has been developed. A comparative analysis of the results of calculating the static and dynamic modes has been carried out. It is founded out that the decrease of mass flow rate is about 10 % as compared with the static regime. It confirms the qualitative effect of ship motion on natural circulation. The practical significance of the research is the development of a model under conditions of ship motion, as well as verification of the model at the testing bench. The results show a significant effect of ship motion on the mass flow rate of the coolant in the case of natural circulation. Thus, to ensure the required safety of ship installations, it is recommended to conduct a study of natural circulation in accordance with the developed model under conditions of maximum possible ship motion.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 329-340
Author(s):  
Todor Janic ◽  
Sasa Igic ◽  
Nebojsa Dedovic ◽  
Darijan Pavlovic ◽  
Jan Turan ◽  
...  

This study reviews test results of the combustion of square soybean straw bales used as fuel in manually fed boiler with nominal thermal power of 120 kWth. The influence of the mass flow rate (180, 265, 350, 435, and 520 kg h-1) of inlet air and flue gas recirculation (0%, 16.5%, and 33%) fed to the boiler furnace was continuously monitored. Direct method was used for determination of the boiler thermal power. Correlation between boiler thermal power and bale residence time has been observed and simple empirical equation has been derived. General conclusions are as follows: the increase of the flow rate of inlet air passing through the boiler furnace results in decrease of the bale residence time and increase of the boiler thermal power. Share of the flue gas recirculation of 16.5% increases bale residence time and decreases average boiler thermal power in all regimes except in the regime with inlet air flow rate of 265 kg h-1. In regime with 0% flue gas recirculation boiler thermal power was higher than nominal in regimes with 435 and 520 kg h-1 inlet air flow rates. In regimes having inlet air mass flow rate of 350 kg h-1 boiler thermal power is equal to the nominal power of 120 kWth.


Author(s):  
Fangnian Wang ◽  
Zhaofei Tian ◽  
Jiange Liu

This paper discusses the results of the thermal-hydraulic investigations of natural circulation. The RELAP5/MOD3.4 computer code has been used to simulate the natural circulation in an ABV-6M Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), and steady-state and transient operational characteristics are researched. Some results can be listed as follows. In the steady-state analysis, the relationship between the reactor power and the mass flow rate of primary loop, and the temperature difference of core inlet and outlet are obtained. The comparisons between the RELAP5 results and the theoretic calculation data indicate good general agreement. Besides, the mass flow rate of natural circulation will increase and the flow will become stable more quickly when the reactor power increases on the condition of the system with a fixed construction. The trends of the thermal parameters are obtained and the temperature envelope curve of secondary circuit fluid is ascertained. In the transient analysis, some perturbations, such as the fluctuations of feedwater temperature and feedwater mass flow rate, have influence on the system performance. Then, the comparisons between taking an action and not taking an action on Nitrogen Pressurizer are obtained when these small perturbations occur. It is turn out that the safety of natural circulation loop is sensitive to some small perturbations.


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