scholarly journals Evaluation of Heat Removal from RBMK-1500 Core Using Control Rods Cooling Circuit

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
A. Kaliatka ◽  
E. Uspuras ◽  
M. Vaisnoras
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Heat Removal ◽  
Thermal Inertia ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Cooling Circuit ◽  
High Thermal Inertia ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Control Rods

The Ignalina nuclear power plant is a twin unit with two RBMK-1500, graphite moderated, boiling water, multichannel reactors. After the decision was made to decommission the Ignalina NPP, Unit 1 was shut down on December 31, 2004, and Unit 2 is to be operated until the end of 2009. Despite of this fact, severe accident management guidelines for RBMK-1500 reactor at Ignalina NPP are prepared. In case of beyond design basis accidents, it can occur that no water sources are available at the moment for heat removal from fuel channels. Specificity of RBMK reactor is such that the channels with control rods are cooled with water supplied by the system totally independent from the reactor cooling system. Therefore, the heat removal from RBMK-1500 reactor core using circuit for cooling of rods in control and protection system can be used as nonregular mean for reactor cooldown in case of BDBA. The heat from fuel channels, where heat is generated, through graphite bricks is transferred in radial direction to cooled CPS channels. This article presents the analysis of possibility to remove heat from reactor core in case of large LOCA by employing CPS channels cooling circuit. The analysis was performed for Ignalina NPP with RBMK-1500 reactor using RELAP5-3D and RELAP5 codes. Results of the analysis have shown that, in spite of high thermal inertia of graphite, this heat removal from CPS channels allows to slow down effectively the core heat-up process.

The Development of the Evolutionary BWR

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Murase ◽  
M. Nakamaru ◽  
M. Kuroki ◽  
Y. Kojima ◽  
S. Yokoyama
Keyword(s):  
Cooling System ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Heat Removal ◽  
Safety Performance ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Isolation System ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Core Cooling ◽  
Control Rods

Considering the delay of the fast breeding reactor (FBR) development, it is expected that the light water reactor will still play the main role of the electric power generation in the 2030’s. Accordingly, Toshiba has been developing a new conceptual ABWR as the near-term BWR. We tentatively call it AB1600. The AB1600 has introduced the hybrid active/passive safety system in order to improve countermeasure against severe accident (SA). At the same time, we have made the simplification of the overall plant systems in order to improve economy. The simplification of the AB1600 is based on the proven technologies. To retain the safety performance superior or equivalent to the current ABWR and to strengthen the countermeasure against SA, the AB1600 has introduced the passive systems such as the passive containment cooling system (PCCS), the gravity driven core cooling system (GDCS) and the isolation condenser (IC). While we retain the safety performance superior or equivalent to the current ABWR, we have made the simplification of the safety systems. We could eliminate the high pressure core flooder system (HPCF) and the reactor core isolation system (RCIC) by extending the height of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) two meters. To achieve simplification of reactor systems, we have reduced the number of fuel bundles and the number of control rods by adopting large bundle that has a bundle pitch 1.2 times wider than that of the current ABWR. In the 1600MWe class, the number of fuel bundles could be reduced to 600 from 872 of the current ABWR, and the number of control rods could be reduced to 137 from 205 of the current ABWR. Because the reactor internal pump (RIP) of the current ABWR has sufficient performance capacity and the improvement of fuel characteristics from the current fuel enables the operation at lower core flow, the number of RIPs could be decreased from ten to eight. Furthermore, we have reduced the number of divisions of emergency core cooling system (ECCS)/heat removal system to two from three of the current ABWR. This configuration change contributes to reduce the amount of resources of not only reactor systems but also auxiliary systems. In the previous paper, the AB1600 had four low pressure flooder systems (LPFLs). We have studied about the possibility of reduction of LPFLs to two from four by providing the LPFL with alternative injection lines. This change is expected to contribute to reduce the total number of ECCS pumps and the capacity of emergency AC power.

Creation of Automatic System for Monitoring, Forecasting and Control of Condition of Lead-Bismuth (Lead) Coolant and Surfaces of Circuits of Nuclear Power Plants

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. N. Martynov ◽  
R. Sh. Askhadullin ◽  
A. A. Simakov ◽  
A. Yu. Chaban’ ◽  
M. E. Chernov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Heat Removal ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Safety Level ◽  
Nitride Fuel ◽  
Active Safety Systems ◽  
Accident Conditions

Lead-bismuth coolant is preferable for the medium size reactors, since, in contrast to the sodium coolant, it does not interact with water and air, it is radiation resistant, insignificantly activated and it is not combustible [1]. Combination of natural properties of lead-based coolants, mono-nitride fuel, fast reactor neutronics and design approaches used for the reactor core and heat removal system brings SVBR 75/100 NPP [2] to achieve a new safety level and assures its stability without operation of active safety systems even under severe accident conditions. Analysis of possible sequences of the events even under conditions of such severe accidents as addition of total excess reactivity or all pumps trip accompanied by safety system failure leads to the conclusion on that power unit with SVBR 75/100 reactor plant (RP) has high safety level.

Analysis of Accident Progression of Fukushima Daiichi NPPs With SAMPSON Code

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masanori Naitoh ◽  
Marco Pellegrini ◽  
Hideo Mizouchi ◽  
Hiroaki Suzuki ◽  
Hidetoshi Okada
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Pressure Vessels ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Injection System ◽  
Part Load ◽  
Calculation Results ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi ◽  
Measured Pressure

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant units 1, 2, and 3 had serious damages due to the huge earthquake and tsunami which occurred on March 11th 2011. Pressure transients in the reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) of the units 1, 2, and 3 were analyzed with the severe accident analysis code, SAMPSON for a few days from the scram until occurrence of depressurization. Since preliminary analysis results with the original SAMPSON showed difference from the measured data, the following phenomena were newly considered in the current analyses. For unit 1: Damage of a source range monitor, which is one of in-core monitors. For unit 2: Part load operation of the reactor core isolation cooling system. For unit 3: Part load operation of the high pressure coolant injection system. The calculation results showed fairly good agreements with the measured pressure data and showed RPV bottom damage for all the units resulting in falling of debris in the core region into the pedestal of the drywell.

Application of Thermal Hydraulic and Severe Accident Code SOCRAT/V3 to Bottom Water Reflood Experiment QUENCH-LOCA-1

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Vasiliev ◽  
Juri Stuckert
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Hydrogen Generation ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Loss Of Coolant Accident ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Core Cooling ◽  
Modeling Code ◽  
Code Quality

This study aims to (1) use the thermal hydraulic and severe fuel damage (SFD) best-estimate computer modeling code SOCRAT/V3 for post-test calculation of QUENCH-LOCA-1 experiment and (2) estimate the SOCRAT code quality of modeling. The new QUENCH-LOCA bundle tests with different cladding materials will simulate a representative scenario for a loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA) nuclear power plant (NPP) accident sequence in which the overheated (up to 1050°C) reactor core would be reflooded from the bottom by the emergency core cooling system (ECCS). The test QUENCH-LOCA-1 was successfully performed at the KIT, Karlsruhe, Germany, on February 2, 2012, and was the first test for this series after the commissioning test QUENCH-LOCA-0 conducted earlier. The SOCRAT/V3-calculated results describing thermal hydraulic, hydrogen generation, and thermomechanical behavior including rods ballooning and burst are in reasonable agreement with the experimental data. The results demonstrate the SOCRAT code’s ability for realistic calculation of complicated LOCA scenarios.

Precautions at Fukushima That Would Have Suppressed the Accident Severity

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Iino ◽  
Ritsuo Yoshioka ◽  
Masao Fuchigami ◽  
Masayuki Nakao
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Radioactive Material ◽  
Injection System ◽  
Tsunami Waves ◽  
Ac Power ◽  
Pressure Water ◽  
High Pressure Coolant

Abstract The Great East Japan Earthquake on Mar. 11, 2011 triggered huge tsunami waves that attacked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (Fukushima-1). Units 1, 3, and 4 had hydrogen explosions. Units 1–3 had core meltdowns and released a large amount of radioactive material. Published investigation reports did not explain how the severity of the accident could have been prevented. We formed a study group to find: (A) Was the earthquake-induced huge tsunami predictable at Fukushima-1? (B) If it was predictable, what preparations at Fukushima-1 could have avoided the severity of the accident? Our conclusions were: (a) The tsunami that hit Fukushima-1 was predictable, and (b) the severity could have been avoided if the plant had prepared a set of equipment, and most of all, had exercised actions to take against such tsunami. Necessary preparation included: (1) a number of direct current (DC) batteries, (2) portable underwater pumps, (3) portable alternating current (AC) generators with sufficient gasoline supply, (4) high voltage AC power trucks, and (5) drills against extended loss of all electric power and seawater pumps. This set applied only to this specific accident. A thorough preparation would have added (6) portable compressors, (7) watertight modification to reactor core isolation cooling system (RCIC) and high pressure coolant injection system (HPCI) control and instrumentation, and (8) fire engines for alternate low pressure water injection. Item (5), i.e., to study plans and carry out exercises against the tsunami would have identified all other necessary preparations.

New Reactor Safety Measures for the European Sodium Fast Reactor - Part I: Conceptual Design

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Guidez ◽  
Janos Bodi ◽  
Konstantin Mikityuk ◽  
Enrico Girardi ◽  
Bernard Carluec
Keyword(s):  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Heat Removal ◽  
Thermal Inertia ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Reactor Safety ◽  
Fukushima Accident ◽  
Safety Level ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Sodium Fast Reactor ◽  
High Thermal Inertia

Abstract Following up the previous CP-ESFR project, the ESFR-SMART project considers the safety objectives envisaged for Generation-IV reactors, taking into account the lessons learned from the Fukushima accident, in order to increase the safety level of the European Sodium Fast Reactor (ESFR). In accordance with these objectives, guidelines have been defined to drive the ESFR-SMART developments, mainly simplifying the design and using all the positive features of Sodium Fast Reactors (SFR), such as low coolant pressure, efficiency of natural convection, possibility of decay heat removal (DHR) by atmospheric air, high thermal inertia and long grace period before a human intervention is needed. In this paper, a set of new ambitious safety measures is introduced for further evaluation within the project. The proposed set aims at consistency with the main lines of safety evolutions since the Fukushima accident, but it does not yet constitute the final comprehensive safety analysis. The paper gives a first review of the new propositions to enhance the ESFR safety, leading to a simplified reactor, forgiving and including a lot of passivity. This first version is supported by the various project tasks in order to assess the relevance of the whole design in comparison to the final safety objectives.

Severe Accident Analysis for BWR With Containment Outer Pool

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koki Yoshimura ◽  
Kohei Hisamochi
Keyword(s):  
Cooling System ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Heat Removal ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Gas Temperature ◽  
Passive System ◽  
Active Components ◽  
Active System ◽  
Station Blackout ◽  
Materials Used

Newly designed plants, e.g., next-generation light water reactor or ESBWR, employ a passive containment cooling system and have an enhanced safety with RHRs (Residual Heat Removal system) including active components. Passive containment cooling systems have the advantage of a simple mechanism, while materials used for the systems are too large to employ these systems to existing plants. Combination of passive system and active system is considered to decrease amount of material for existing plants. In this study, alternatives of applying containment outer pool as a passive system have been developed for existing BWRs, and effects of outer pool on BDBA (Beyond Design Basis Accident) have been evaluated. For the evaluation of containment outer pool, it is assumed that there would be no on-site power at the loss of off-site power event, so called “SBO (Station BlackOut)”. Then, the core of this plant would be uncovered, heated up, and damaged. Finally, the reactor pressure vessel would be breached. Containment gas temperature reached the containment failure temperature criteria without water injection. With water injection, containment pressure reached the failure pressure criteria. With this situation, using outer pool is one of the candidates to mitigate the accident. Several case studies for the outer pool have been carried out considering several parts of containment surface area, which are PCV (Pressure Containment vessel) head, W/W (Wet Well), and PCV shell. As a result of these studies, the characteristics of each containment outer pool strategies have become clear. Cooling PCV head can protect it from over-temperature, although its effect is limited and W/W venting can not be delayed. Cooling suppression pool has an effect of pressure suppressing effect when RPV is intact. Cooling PCV shell has both effect of decreasing gas temperature and suppressing pressure.

Level 2 PSA Overview of HPR1000 Nuclear Power Plant

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wang Ziguan ◽  
Lu Fang ◽  
Yang Benlin ◽  
Chen Shi ◽  
Hu Lingsheng
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Heat Removal ◽  
Accident Prevention ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Injection System ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Level 2

Abstract Risk-informed design approaches are comprehensively implemented in the design and verification process of HPR1000 nuclear power plant. Particularly, Level 2 PSA is applied in the optimization of severe accident prevention and mitigation measures to avoid the extravagant redundancy of system configurations. HPR1000 preliminary level 2 PSA practices consider internal events of the reactor in the context of at-power condition. Severe accidents mitigation and prevention system and its impact on the overall large release frequency (LRF) level are evaluated. The results showed that severe accident prevention and mitigation systems, such as fast depressurization system, the cavity injection system and the passive containment heat removal system perform well in reducing LRF and overall risk level of HPR1000 NPP. Bypass events, reactor rapture events, and the containment bottom melt-through induced by MCCI are among the dominant factors of the LRF. The level 2 PSA analysis results indicate that HPR1000 design is reliable with no major weaknesses.

Performance Evaluation of DRACS System for FHTR and Time Assessment of Operation Procedure

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junya Nakata ◽  
Mikihiro Wakui ◽  
Michitsugu Mori ◽  
Hiroto Sakashita ◽  
Charles Forsberg
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Heat Removal ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Fluoride Salt ◽  
Nuclear Power Reactor ◽  
Decay Heat ◽  
Operation Procedure

The Fluoride-salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR) is a new concept of nuclear power reactor being investigated mainly in U.S. and China. The coolant is a liquid salt with a melting point of about 460°C and a boiling point of over 1400°C. As the baseline decay heat removal system, a passive Direct Reactor Air Cooling System (DRACS) is utilized. Though DRACS system has been developed in Sodium Fast reactors (SFR), there are some differences between both. For example, the system in FHR must decrease heat removal when temperatures are low to avoid freezing of the salt and blocking the flow of liquid. Therefore, considering its characteristics, a numerical investigation of DRACS system is needed to evaluate whether FHR has proper ability to remove decay heat and to be robust for a long-time cooling operation after even a severe accident. Furthermore, in addition to its performance evaluation, it is required to make up the operation plan of FHR considering features of this system. It is highly important, with the view of avoiding severe accident, to determine by when the system should be started up. In both countries mentioned above, Fluoride-salt-cooled High-temperature Test Reactor (FHTR) is currently in progress to build. Reviewing its design and system is a crucial step needed to develop the FHR technology. In this research, a performance of DRACS system under some thermal-hydraulic basic events was evaluated by numerical simulation. This paper also suggested the adequate operation procedure suitable for FHTR to avoid a severe accident.

Modeling of Thermal Hydraulics Features of Top Water Reflood Experiment PARAMETER-SF3 Using SOCRAT/V2 Code

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arcadii E. Kisselev ◽  
Valerii F. Strizhov ◽  
Alexander D. Vasiliev ◽  
Vladimir I. Nalivayev ◽  
Nikolay Ya. Parshin
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Numerical Code ◽  
Thermal Hydraulics ◽  
Vver Fuel ◽  
Design Basis ◽  
Best Estimate ◽  
Core Cooling

The PARAMETER-SF3 test conditions simulated a severe LOCA (Loss of Coolant Accident) nuclear power plant sequence in which the overheated up to 1700÷2300K core would be reflooded from the top and the bottom in occasion of ECCS (Emergency Core Cooling System) recovery. The test was successfully conducted at the NPO “LUTCH”, Podolsk, Russia, in October 31, 2008, and was the third of four experiments of series PARAMETER-SF. PARAMETER facility of NPO “LUTCH”, Podolsk, is designed for studies of the VVER fuel assemblies behavior under conditions simulating design basis, beyond design basis and severe accidents. The test bundle was made up of 19 fuel rod simulators with a length of approximately 3.12 m (heated rod simulators) and 2.92 m (unheated rod simulator). Heating was carried out electrically using 4-mm-diameter tantalum heating elements installed in the center of the rods and surrounded by annular UO2 pellets. The rod cladding was identical to that used in VVERs: Zr1%Nb, 9.13 mm outside diameter, 0.7 mm wall thickness. After the maximum cladding temperature of about 1900K was reached in the bundle during PARAMETER-SF3 test, the top flooding was initiated. The thermal hydraulic and SFD (Severe Fuel Damage) best estimate numerical complex SOCRAT/V2 was used for the calculation of PARAMETER-SF3 experiment. The counter-current flow limitation (CCFL) model was implemented to best estimate numerical code SOCRAT/V2 developed for modeling thermal hydraulics and severe accident phenomena in a reactor. Thermal hydraulics in PARAMETER-SF3 experiment played very important role and its adequate modeling is important for the thermal analysis. The results obtained by the complex SOCRAT/V2 were compared with experimental data concerning different aspects of thermal hydraulics behavior including the CCFL phenomenon during the reflood. The temperature experimental data were found to be in a good agreement with calculated results. It is indicative of the adequacy of modeling the complicated thermo-hydraulic behavior in the PARAMETER-SF3 test.

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