Core designing of a new type of TVS-2M FAs: neutronics and thermal-hydraulics design basis limits

doi:10.1007/s11708-018-0583-x

Front. Energy

2021, Vol. 15

Issue (1) : 256-278 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-018-0583-x

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Core designing of a new type of TVS-2M FAs: neutronics and thermal-hydraulics design basis limits

Saeed GHAEMI¹, Farshad FAGHIHI²(

)

¹. Department of Nuclear Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71936-16548, Iran
². Department of Nuclear Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71936-16548, Iran; Radiation Research Center, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71936, Iran; Lonizing and Non-lonizing Radiation Center, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran

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Abstract

One of the most important aims of this study is to improve the core of the current VVER reactors to achieve more burn-up (or more cycle length) and more intrinsic safety. It is an independent study on the Russian new proposed FAs, called TVS-2M, which would be applied for the future advanced VVERs. Some important aspects of neutronics as well as thermal hydraulics investigations (and analysis) of the new type of Fas are conducted, and results are compared with the standards PWR CDBL. The TVS-2M FA contains gadolinium-oxide which is mixed with UO₂ (for different Gd densities and U-235 enrichments which are given herein), but the core does not contain BARs. The new type TVS-2M Fas are modeled by the SARCS software package to find the PMAXS format for three states of CZP and HZP as well as HFP, and then the whole core is simulated by the PARCS code to investigate transient conditions. In addition, the WIMS-D5 code is suggested for steady core modeling including TVS-2M FAs and/or TVS FAs. Many neutronics aspects such as the first cycle length (first cycle burn up in terms of MW_thd/kgU), the critical concentration of boric acid at the BOC as well as the cycle length, the axial, and radial power peaking factors, differential and integral worthy of the most reactive CPS-CRs, reactivity coefficients of the fuel, moderator, boric acid, and the under-moderation estimation of the core are conducted and benchmarked with the PWR CDBL. Specifically, the burn-up calculations indicate that the 45.6 d increase of the first cycle length (which corresponds to 1.18 MW_thd/kgU increase of burn-up) is the best improving aim of the new FA type called TVS-2M. Moreover, thermal-hydraulics core design criteria such as MDNBR (based on W3 correlation) and the maximum of fuel and clad temperatures (radially and axially), are investigated, and discussed based on the CDBL.

Keywords TVS-2M FAs core design basis limits VVER-1000 analysis mixture of uranium-gadolinium oxides fuels thermal-hydraulics PARCS WIMS-D5

Corresponding Author(s): Farshad FAGHIHI

Just Accepted Date: 25 July 2018 Online First Date: 21 September 2018 Issue Date: 19 March 2021

Cite this article:

Saeed GHAEMI,Farshad FAGHIHI. Core designing of a new type of TVS-2M FAs: neutronics and thermal-hydraulics design basis limits[J]. Front. Energy, 2021, 15(1): 256-278.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/10.1007/s11708-018-0583-x
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/Y2021/V15/I1/256

Tab.1 Abundances of natural gadolinium isotopes (Z = 64, A = 157.25), and their thermal absorption cross section (s) values

Fig.1 Details of the core configuration of the TVS-2M and the current BNPP VVER-1000/443 including TVS FAs

Fig.2 Details of the five types of TVS-2M FAs

Fig.3 Distribution of CPS-CR

Tab.2 Characteristics of TVS-2M and TVS fuel assemblies

Fig.4 Schemes of the TVS-2M and TVS fuel rods

Tab.3 Relative moderator-to-fuel ratio for both cores at three states of CZP, HZP as well as HFP, and at the BOC

Fig.5 Intersection of the fuel rod linear heat rate (LHR)

q ′ rod

(near cosine shape) and

q ′ DNB

(which is found from W3 correlations) is called ZDNB

Tab.4 Values for calculating uniform critical heat flux in the hottest channel

Fig.6 Non-uniform DNB heat flux and calculation of MDNBR

Fig.7 Schematicradial temperature variations in the solid fuel meat, gap, and clad for temperature-dependent k_f

Fig.8 Thermal conductivity coefficient of (U+ Gd)O₂ fuel having different densities of gadolinium Gd oxides

Parameter

Value

(U+Gd)O₂heat conduction coefficient (at 1500 K)/(W?m⁻¹?K⁻¹)
Clad heat conduction coefficient (at 600 K)/(W? m⁻¹?K⁻¹)
Gap heat conduction coefficient (at 700 K)/(W? m⁻¹?K⁻¹)
Clad thickness/mm
Gap thickness/mm
Outer fuel radius/mm
Inner fuel radius/mm
Total core flow rate/(m³?h⁻¹) or /(kg?s⁻¹)
Channel flow rate/(kg?s⁻¹)
Inlet temperature/^oC

C P

/(J?kg⁻¹?K⁻¹) (water at 2000 psi, and 593 K)
Fuel length/mm
Extrapolated length/m
Pellet density/(g?cm⁻³)
Average fuel power rate/(kW?m⁻¹)
Maximum fuel power rate/(kW?m⁻¹)

2.65
17.3
0.282
0.65
0.85
3.8
1.0
84800 or 16724 (at density= 0.65)
0.34
290
5610.3
3680
3750
10.4–10.7
16.0
44.8

Tab.5 Useful data for estimating the clad maximum temperature of the TVS-2M fuel pin

Fig.9 Axial temperatures variations of the fuel meat, clad, and coolant along with a vertical channel including physical length l and the neutronics extrapolated length of l_ex

Fig.10 Schematic flowchart for implementation of the SARCS and PARCS codes

Tab.6 Characteristics of the five types of FAs in the TVS-2M core (the schemes of each type were also given in Fig. 2)

Tab.7 Limits of state variables covering the CZP condition

Tab.8 Limits of state variables covering the HZP condition

Tab.9 Limits of state variables covering the HFP condition

Tab.10 Infinite multiplication factor for the TVS-2M core at HZP

Fig.11 Integral worth of the CPS-CRs group number 8, 9, and 10 in the TVS as well as TVS-2M cores

Fig.12 Differential worth for the TVS and TVS-2M cores, and for the most RCCA banks (Nos. 8, 9, and 10)

Fig.13 Boric acid concentrations by insertion of the most RCCA banks Nos. 8, 9, and 10 for both TVS and TVS-2M cores

Fig.14 Radial power peaking factor (RPPF) for both cores during first life-cycle together with error-bar for the TVS-2M core

Fig.15 Maximum linear heat rate for both cores during the first life cycle and percentage error-bar for the TVS-2M core

Fig.16 Axial power peaking factor during the first life-cycle and the standard error-bar for the TVS-2M core (This axial peaking factor is calculated in the most heated channel (radial peaking)

Fig.17 Reactivity a few seconds after the most reactive control rod insertion at different initial powers

Fig.18 Boric acid concentration for both cores in the first life-cycle (The standard error-bar is inserted for the TVS-2M calculations.)

Fig.19 Fuel reactivity coefficient for the TVS-2M and TVS cores during burnups (The standard error-bar is found for the TVS-2M calculations.)

Fig.20 Boric acid reactivity coefficient for the TVS-2M and the TVS cores (Percentage error-bar is shown for the TVS-2M results.)

Fig.21 Moderator (water) density reactivity coefficient for the TVS-2M and TVS cores (Percentage error-bar is found for the TVS-2M calculations.)

Fig.22 Burnup calculations for both cores based on linear reactivity model (Based on the above results, the TVS-2M core has 1.18 MWd/kgU more burnup.)

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