An investigation of some models and approximations used in calculating fuel assemblies of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor of the GT-MHR type

The paper describes basic neutron-physics models developed in the Division of Advanced Nuclear Power Systems of the Institute of Nuclear Reactors, Russian Research Center Kurchatov Institute, as design models intended for calculating the characteristics of block fuel assemblies of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor GT-MHR, namely, models for calculating burnup of fuel and isotopes of burnable neutron absorbers and calculating fuel assemblies at fixed points with respect to burnup with preparation of the neutron constants in a preassigned number of energy groups for full-scale design of a reactor. A model problem for investigation of calculated approximations is proposed. The outcome of this investigation is a developed stage-by-stage procedure of preparing group homogeneous cross sections of a fuel assembly and its parts that has been introduced into the practice of design calculations of a GT-MHR reactor.     

不同燃耗计算模型对商用压水堆乏燃料组件核素成分的影响分析

燃耗计算精度对提高乏燃料贮存效率有着重要影响,在应用燃耗信用制时,燃耗计算得到的核素成分偏差决定了乏燃料贮存的临界安全裕量。不同燃耗计算模型所得到的核素成分偏差各不相同,为提高燃耗计算精度,提出了一种装载不同燃料富集度的多组件燃耗计算模型,并使用不同燃耗计算模型分别对TMI-1反应堆NJ07OG组件中的6个样本进行了计算、对比和分析。结果表明,相比其他模型,考虑不同燃料富集度的多组件模型得到的²³⁵U、²³⁸U和²³⁹Pu等核素平均相对偏差更接近于零且6个样本的相对偏差分布更为平均。     

关于压水堆产武器级钚的模拟计算

防止核扩散是国际社会共同努力的目标,其中武器级核材料的防扩散是重中之重.钚是反应堆的副产品,如果不计较经济效益,利用铀为核燃料的反应堆都可以生产武器级钚.本文基于日本Takahama-3压水堆建立了五个模型,并进行中子和燃耗计算,得到两种燃料棒产武器级钚的条件、燃料棒轴向的燃耗分布、组件内燃料棒燃耗的变化区间和全堆芯燃料棒径向燃耗分布.基于上述模型和计算数据给出压水堆堆芯内含有武器级钚的准确位置和UO_2燃料棒中武器级钚的产量.这种低燃耗的乏燃料给国际核不扩散带来了巨大风险,国际社会应该加强对此类乏燃料的监管.     

铅冷快堆M2LFR-1000堆芯燃料管理方案设计

堆芯燃料管理是反应堆设计中极为重要而且复杂的工作,直接影响着堆芯的经济性。目前国内外对于压水堆等传统热堆已有了较为丰富和成熟的燃料管理计算方法,但对于快堆,由于其中子能谱硬,与传统热堆相比有着不同的控制方式和功率分布,快堆的堆芯燃料管理缺乏系统研究。针对中国科学技术大学自主研发的强迫循环冷却的铅基快堆M2LFR-1000,应用SRAC/COREBN软件包进行堆芯燃耗计算,根据燃耗深度提取核素核子密度,计算伪平衡循环参数进行燃料管理预估,然后进行首循环装料、过渡循环和平衡循环燃料管理方案设计。结果表明:对M2LFR-1000堆芯外区燃料换料组件Pu的富集度进行优化,可以延长换料周期到540 d,提高平均卸料燃耗深度;伪平衡循环结果与平衡循环基本一致,伪平衡循环可以用于燃料管理预估。     

Substantiation of parameters of the geometric model of the research reactor core for the calculation using the Monte Carlo method

The choice of the spatial nodalization for the calculation of the power density and burnup distribution in a research reactor core with fuel assemblies of the IRT-3M and VVR-KN type using the program based on the Monte Carlo code is described. The influence of the spatial nodalization on the results of calculating basic neutronic characteristics and calculation time is investigated.     

The influence of changes in the VVER-1000 fuel assembly shape during operation on the power density distribution

A new approach to calculation of the coefficients of sensitivity of the fuel pin power to deviations in gap sizes between fuel assemblies of the VVER-1000 reactor during its operation is proposed. It is shown that the calculations by the MCU code should be performed for a full-size model of the core to take the interference of the gap influence into account. In order to reduce the conservatism of calculations, the coolant density and coolant temperature feedbacks should be taken into account, as well as the fuel burnup.     

行波堆深燃耗的计算特点

行波堆属于新概念堆型,卸料燃耗深度可达400 GWd/tHM,是现有快堆的3~4倍、压水堆的6~8倍,较高的卸料燃耗深度对堆芯物理分析工具计算正确性提出挑战。基于此,以KYLIN-1程序为基础,从能谱、裂变产物核素重要性、燃耗计算误差累积等方面探究行波堆深燃耗计算特点。对典型行波堆六角形组件分析结果表明:低富集度铀组件寿期初、末能谱差别较大,采用单一权重谱制备的多群截面库用于其燃耗计算时,无限增殖系数偏差较大;为保证行波堆深燃耗计算的正确性,燃耗链应包含重要的70种裂变产物核素;行波堆深燃耗计算时,由于燃耗步增多累积的误差较小,无限增殖系数偏差每燃耗步约为0.001%。     

Experiments on small-size fast critical fuel assemblies at the AKSAMIT facility and their use for development of computational models

Small-size fast critical assemblies with highly enriched fuel at the AKSAMIT facility are described in detail. Computational models of the critical assemblies at room temperature are given. The calculation results for the critical parameters are compared with the experimental data. A good agreement between the calculations and the experimental data is shown. The physical models developed for the critical assemblies, as well as the experimental results, can be applied to verify various codes intended for calculation of the neutronic characteristics of small-size fast nuclear reactors. For these experiments, the results computed using the codes of the MCU family show a high quality of the neutron data and of the physical models used.     

177堆芯24个月换料可行性研究

与18个月换料相比,压水堆核电站24个月换料能减少大修次数,提高机组负荷因子,增加发电量。基于装载177组件的堆芯,通过提高新燃料组件富集度和增加批换料组件数使堆芯循环长度达到24个月换料周期要求,考虑实际24个月换料和名义24个月换料高低两种电厂可利用因子。考虑燃料组件费用、大修费用、乏燃料处理费用和发电收益等进行换料方案经济性分析评估,并和典型18个月换料经济性作比较。177堆芯平衡循环装载88组富集度为4.95%的燃料组件,能满足名义24个月换料循环长度的需要,组件平均卸料燃耗约48 GWd/tU;装载104个燃料组件的堆芯能满足实际24个换料循环长度的要求,堆芯参数满足相关安全限值要求。结果表明,177堆芯24个月换料具有可行性,其高负荷因子下的经济性与18个月换料相当。     

Physical particularities of nuclear reactors using heavy moderators of neutrons

In nuclear reactors, thermal neutron spectra are formed using moderators with small atomic weights. For fast reactors, inserting such moderators in the core may create problems since they efficiently decelerate the neutrons. In order to form an intermediate neutron spectrum, it is preferable to employ neutron moderators with sufficiently large atomic weights, using ²³³U as a fissile nuclide and ²³²Th and ²³¹Pa as fertile ones. The aim of the work is to investigate the properties of heavy neutron moderators and to assess their advantages. The analysis employs the JENDL-4.0 nuclear data library and the SCALE program package for simulating the variation of fuel composition caused by irradiation in the reactor. The following main results are obtained. By using heavy moderators with small neutron moderation steps, one is able to (1) increase the rate of resonance capture, so that the amount of fertile material in the fuel may be reduced while maintaining the breeding factor of the core; (2) use the vacant space for improving the fuel-element properties by adding inert, strong, and thermally conductive materials and by implementing dispersive fuel elements in which the fissile material is self-replenished and neutron multiplication remains stable during the process of fuel burnup; and (3) employ mixtures of different fertile materials with resonance capture cross sections in order to increase the resonance-lattice density and the probability of resonance neutron capture leading to formation of fissile material. The general conclusion is that, by forming an intermediate neutron spectrum with heavy neutron moderators, one can use the fuel more efficiently and improve nuclear safety.     

Importance functions in calculation of fuel burnup in a VVER

Equations that describe fuel burnup in a VVER are given. Equations for the neutron flux density and the content of fission products are presented in the canonical Cauchy form. Such form of representation of equations lends itself well for their use in solving problems related to optimization of the process of fuel burnup in a nuclear reactor. Also given are equations for the importance functions of neutrons and fission products that correspond to the basic system of equation for phase variables.     

基于短半衰期核素的γ谱燃耗测量方法

提出了一种基于短半衰期核素平衡浓度求解燃耗的谱法。该方法通过将待测燃料在恒定中子通量条件下辐照一段时间,使得短半衰期标识核素建立浓度平衡,并基于核素平衡浓度与燃料中剩余235U含量之间的关系求解得到燃耗值。理论模拟结果与LR-0实验堆上的燃料辐照实验均表明,当燃料经过短期辐照后,短半衰期标识核素88Kr,92Sr能在谱中出现明显可分辨的特征峰,从而证实了88Kr,92Sr作为燃耗测量的标识核素的可行性。模拟了不同实验条件下测量富集度为20%的乏燃料的燃耗情况,实验表明标识核素88Kr,92Sr与其相应的干扰核素的特征峰在相应能量段均可分辨出来,且谱的测量宜选在乏燃料卸料冷却11 h内进行。最后通过88Kr,92Sr计算获得了与理论值相吻合的燃耗值。相比于其他方法,该方法测量燃耗不受辐照历史、燃料富集度、再次辐照前冷却时间的影响。     

Calculation of burnup of a black neutron absorber

The procedure of calculation of burnup of fuel and strong neutron absorber in a nuclear reactor is described. The method proposed here makes it possible to avoid difficulties associated with heterogeneous blocking of the absorption cross section. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by an example.     

压水堆核电站燃料组件弯曲对堆芯中子学的影响分析计算

在压水堆核电站中,由于燃料组件装配的压紧力、冷却剂流动、辐射蠕变、燃耗等因素会导致燃料组件的弯曲,燃料组件的弯曲对组件间的水隙分布产生影响,从而影响中子的慢化行为及堆芯的传热性能,进而对反应堆堆芯的运行参数造成影响。本文分析了组件弯曲的成因及机理、影响及后果（包括对堆芯功率分布、径向功率倾斜、焓升因子、热点因子等参数的影响）,并使用蒙特卡罗软件JMCT,对组件弯曲的确定论计算程序的正确性进行了验证。最后通过确定论的计算程序模块,对CPR1000核电站的组件弯曲情况进行了模拟分析,计算结果表明:在某一燃耗下,随着水隙增加或减小,燃料组件功率会随之增加或减小,使堆芯的功率分布发生倾斜,影响核电站的安全运行。     

Optimization of the physical characteristics and the regime of uniform partial refuelings of a fast nuclear reactor

This paper covers some specific features of the optimization problem with integer-valued and continuously changing parameters that has been formulated for a fast reactor operating under the steady-state regime of the uniform partial refueling. Effective algorithms for calculating the physical characteristics and an iterative procedure of constructing optimum values of parameters are proposed. The paper considers the solution of a problem on minimization of the loss of energy generation in a reactor of the BREST-800 type that occurs because average fuel burnup in fuel assemblies being removed does not achieve its maximum permissible level. For several core arrangements, the comparison with nonoptimum solutions is given and the role of various factors contributing to an increase in average fuel burnup is evaluated.     

Shock ignition of thermonuclear fuel with high areal density

A novel method by C. Zhou and R. Betti [Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 50, 140 (2005)] to assemble and ignite thermonuclear fuel is presented. Massive cryogenic shells are first imploded by direct laser light with a low implosion velocity and on a low adiabat leading to fuel assemblies with large areal densities. The assembled fuel is ignited from a central hot spot heated by the collision of a spherically convergent ignitor shock and the return shock. The resulting fuel assembly features a hot-spot pressure greater than the surrounding dense fuel pressure. Such a nonisobaric assembly requires a lower energy threshold for ignition than the conventional isobaric one. The ignitor shock can be launched by a spike in the laser power or by particle beams. The thermonuclear gain can be significantly larger than in conventional isobaric ignition for equal driver energy.     

Burnup of rhodium SPND in VVER-1000: Method for determination of linear energy release by SPND readings

A method for determination of linear energy release of a VVER fuel assembly near a rhodium self-powered neutron detector (SPND) is described. The dependence of SPND burnup on the charge passing through it is specified.     

Algorithms for calculation of the transport tensor components in the generalized first collision probability method

The first collision probability (FCP) method allows generalization by introducing several angular modes in each zone. Algorithms are proposed for calculating the components of the corresponding first collision tensor. These algorithms do not increase the computational complexity beyond that of the matrix calculation algorithm in the traditional FCP method and allow calculating a system described in terms of combinatorial geometry. Fourfold integrals are numerically taken in calculation of a three-dimensional system and twofold integrals are taken for two-dimensional geometry. The geometrical capabilities are ensured by using the standard geometrical module of the Monte Carlo method.     

Effective conditions for the neutron flux density at axial boundaries of the core

Analytical expressions for elements of the triangular matrix of effective conditions at the boundary of the core with a multiregion reflector are derived in the few-group diffusion approximation. The developed technique is verified using the example of fuel assemblies of a light-water reactor with an intermediate neutron spectrum.     

乏燃料中Pu同位素含量数值模拟

利用燃耗计算程序MCORGS模拟反应堆燃耗与乏燃料中Pu同位素含量之间的关系,通过对轴向上分为20段的重复栅元模型和组件模型进行的燃耗计算,得到压水堆中乏燃料中轴向不同位置燃耗的分布和Pu-239同位素含量的变化,模拟发现Pu-239同位素含量随着燃料棒在堆芯中的位置不同变化很大。同时,对VVER1000组件和压水堆1717组件也进行了燃耗计算,计算发现组件径向不同位置的燃耗有一定差别。轴向上和径向上不同位置的燃耗差别会导致同一批卸载的乏燃料中含有很多低燃耗的燃料区间,这种乏燃料给国际核不扩散带来了巨大的风险,应该加强监管。