Volume 82, Issue 4

The intention of the startup physics tests was to confirm design characteristics of the core loading and their compliance with safety analysis preconditions. The program of startup tests for the leading unit is usually composed in such a way that is is possible to study as much neutron-physical characteristics as possible in the safest condition of zero power. State-of-the-art safety analysis is including computer codes that use three dimensional neutron kinetics and thermohydraulics models. For the substantiation of such models, for its validation and verification there is a need in reactor experiments that implementing spatially distributed transients. We based on such statements when composing hot zero power physical startup program for the new VVER-1200 unit of Novovoronezh NPP. Several tests unconventional for VVER were developed for that program. It includes measuring the worth for each of control rod groups and measuring of single rod worth from the inserted groups – test that models rod ejection event in some sense.

The Kudankulam NPP units contain additional and unique for VVER Quick Boron Injection System (QBIS) for beyond-design-basis accident management without scram. During the physical start-up stage at hot zero power of both Kudankulam units, special tests were performed to assess the efficiency of the system. In the course of test three out of four QBIS tanks had been promptly opened and it led to the asymmetrical injection of boric acid into the core. The scenario of the tests may address to the inhomogeneous boron dilution process that is now an essential part of safety analysis of pressurised water reactors. The simulation of the process, including ex-core ion chambers readings, has been accomplished using ATHLET/BIPR-VVER code. Behaviour of some reactor parameters in the course of the test and some results of the simulation are discussing in the paper. Authors believe the process of the asymmetrical injection of boric acid may be useful for verification and validation of coupled neutronic and thermo-hydraulic codes widely used for safety analysis, including analysis of boron dilution accident.

The fuel economy of Loviisa NPP was improved by implementing a transition from 3-batch to 4-batch loading scheme between 2009 and 2013. Equilibrium cycle length as well as all process parameters were retained unchanged while the increase of fuel enrichment enabled to reduce the annual reload batch size from 102 to 84 assemblies. The fuel cycle transition obviously had an effect on the long-term decay heat and activity inventory. However, due to simultaneous change in several quantities the net effect over the relevant cooling time region is not self-evident. In this study the effect is analyzed properly, i. e. applying consistent calculation models and detailed description of assembly-wise irradiation histories. The study concludes that for the cooling time, foreseen typical prior to encapsulation of assemblies, the decay heat of discharge batch increases 2 – 3%. It is also concluded that, in order to maintain 100% filling degree of final disposal canisters, the cooling time prior to encapsulation needs to be prolonged by 10 – 15 years.

In Loviisa NPP, there are two limiting thermal margins called the enthalpy rise margin and the linear heat rate margin that are monitored during normal operation. Engineering safety factors are applied in determination of both of these factors. The factors take into account the effect of various manufacturing tolerances, impact of the irradiation and simulation uncertainties on the local heat rate and on the enthalpy of the coolant. The engineering factors were re-evaluated during 2015 and the factors were approved by the Finnish radiation and nuclear safety authority in 2016. The re-evaluation was performed by considering all of the identified phenomena that affect the local heat rate or the enthalpy of the coolant. This paper summarizes the work that was performed during the re-evaluation of the engineering safety factors and presents the results for each uncertainty component. The new engineering safety factors are 1.115 for the linear heat rate and 1.100 for the enthalpy rise margin when the old factors were 1.12 and 1.16, respectively. The new factors improve the fuel economy by about 1%.

Since the introduction of VVERs-440, their fuel assemblies are subject to ongoing improvements. Until now, the basic structural parameters of fuel, such as rod diameter of 9.1 mm, have never changed. This paper focuses on computational estimates of basic neutronic parameters of the fuel cycle that involves assemblies consisting of fuel rods with diameter reduced to 8.9 mm.

Our aim was to develop a method based on noise diagnostics for the estimation of the moderator temperature coefficient of reactivity (MTC) for the Paks VVER-440 units in normal operation. The method requires determining core average neutron flux and temperature fluctuations. The circulation period of the primary coolant, transfer properties of the steam generators, as well as the source and the propagation of the temperature perturbations and the proportions of the perturbation components were investigated in order to estimate the feedback caused by the circulation of the primary coolant. Finally, after developing the new MTC estimator, determining its frequency range and optimal parameters, trends were produced based on an overall evaluation of measurements made with standard instrumentation during a one-year-long period at Paks NPP.

Continuous-energy Monte Carlo reactor physics code Serpent 2 was used to model the critical steady state conditions measured in V-1000 zero-power critical facility at Kurchatov Institute (KI), Moscow in 1990–1992. The Serpent 2 results were compared to measurements and Serpent 2 was used to generate group constants for reactor dynamics code HEXTRAN. The results of a HEXTRAN calculation of the steady state were compared to Serpent 2. The relative power density distribution of the SERPENT2 calculations compared with the measurements was within the statistical accuracy. The comparison of HEXTRAN and Serpent 2 node-wise relative power density distributions showed an accuracy of ±10%.

The 7 th dynamic AER benchmark is the first in which three-dimensional thermal hydraulics codes are supposed to be applied. The aim is to get a more precise core inlet temperature profile than the sector temperatures available typically with system codes. The benchmark consists of a start-up of the sixth, isolated loop in a VVER-440 plant. The isolated loop initially contains cold water without boric acid and the start-up leads to a somewhat asymmetrical core power increase due to feedbacks in the core. In this study, the 7 th AER benchmark is calculated with the three-dimensional nodal reactor dynamics code HEXTRAN-SMABRE coupled with the porous computational fluid dynamics code PORFLO. These three codes are developed at VTT. A novel two-way coupled simulation of the 7th AER benchmark was performed successfully demonstrating the feasibility and advantages of the new reactor analysis framework. The modelling issues for this benchmark are reported and some evaluation against the previously reported comparisons between the system codes is provided.

The JSC “Atomtechenergo” experts have developed a new methodology for determining the weighted mean coolant temperature in the primary circuit hot legs of WWER-1000 reactor plants. The necessity for developing the new methodology was determined by the need to decrease the calculation error of the weighted mean coolant temperature in the hot legs because of the coolant temperature stratification. The methodology development was based on the findings of experimental and calculating research executed by the authors. The methodology verification was fulfilled through comparison of calculation results obtained with and without the methodology use in various operational states and modes of several WWER-1000 power units. The obtained verification results have confirmed that the use of the new methodology provides objective error decrease in determining the weighted mean coolant temperature in the primary circuit hot legs. The decrease value depends on the stratification character which is various for different objects and conditions.

The ongoing development of the HELIOS2 code system at Studsvik includes periodic updates of the nuclear data library. The library expansion includes an update of the cross section data source to ENDF/B-VIIR1, a significant expansion of the burnup chains, the addition of a more complete set of gamma production data, and the development of new resonance treatment options. The goal is to provide the capability for HELIOS2 to more accurately model a wider array of reactor applications and enhance interoperability with SNF, the Studsvik spent fuel analysis code. This paper will also provide a discussion of the nuclear data library benchmarking effort and an overview of other HELIOS2 development efforts.

In 2016 a new version of code ANDREA for core design and reload safety analysis of VVER reactors has been released. The new code version includes several major improvements. The first of them is a seamless incorporation of short time kinetics calculations (without temperature feedback) into the code. This new feature accompanied by the possibility of excore detector signal predictions enables precise interpretation of dynamic measurements of control assembly weight during the reactor startup. Second important enhancement resides in new flexible format of cross section libraries and in new fuel temperature model based on results of TRANSURANUS fuel performance code. The new code version has been thoroughly tested and validated for both VVER440 and VVER-1000 reactors. Furthermore for the new version 2.3 which is to be released shortly we have implemented the possibility of fluent control assemblies’ motion and of non-equidistant axial nodalization schemes in VVER-440 calculations.

In the Loviisa 1 and 2 nuclear power plants the subcooling margin of the hottest subchannel of the fuel assembly is monitored. The temperature of the coolant in the hottest subchannel is limited to the constant saturation temperature. Bending of the fuel rods occurs during normal operation due to the differences in the heat profiles of the rods. The coolant temperature will rise more in the subchannel with smaller flow area due to the bending and this has to be taken into account in the safety margin of subchannel enthalpy rise. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to estimate how much the estimated maximum bow of a rod affects the temperature rise of the subchannel. The quantitative uncertainty of the predicted enthalpy rise in fuel bundle subchannel is estimated based on the uncertainty of modelling of mixing between subchannels. The measured turbulence quantities from LDA measurements of cold test assembly made in 1990s in Fortum are compared with CFD results to give uncertainty estimation for turbulence, which is further used for uncertainty estimation of mixing and simulated subchannel enthalpy rise.

For calculation of the radiological consequences of Large Break Loss of Coolant (LBLOCA) events, a set of various computer codes modeling the corresponding physical processes, disciplines and their appropriate subsequent data exchange are necessary. For demonstrating the methodology applied in MTA EK, a LBLOCA event at shut down reactor state – when only limited configuration of the Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) is available – was selected. In this special case, fission gas release from a number of fuel pins is obtained from the analyses. This paper describes the initiating event and the corresponding thermal hydraulic calculations and the further physical processes, the necessary models and computer codes and their connections. Additionally the applied conservative assumptions and the Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty (B+U) evaluation applied for characterizing the pin power and burnup distribution in the core are presented. Also, the fuel behavior processes. Finally, the newly developed methodology to predict whether the fuel pins are getting in-hermetic or not is described and the the results of the activity transport and dose calculations are shown.

The article describes neutron balance in nuclear energy system as necessary but not sufficient indicator of long-term sustainability. Three models are introduced to evaluate neutron balance based on nuclide chain evolution and reaction rates comparison. The indicator introduced is used to compare several nuclear energy systems consisting of thermal, fast and molten salt reactors.

This paper presents a study of scenarios of transition to a closed fuel cycle in the system of nuclear power, built basing on resource availability requirements at the stage of full life-cycle reactors. Conventionally, there are three main scenarios for the development of nuclear energy: with VVER reactors operating in an open fuel cycle; with VVER reactors operating in a closed fuel cycle; and co-operating VVER and BN, operating in a closed fuel cycle. For the considered scenarios, a quantitative estimation of change in time of material balances were performed, including spent fuel balance, balance of plutonium, reprocessed and depleted uranium, radioactive waste, and the analysis of the fuel component of the cost of electricity.

In the paper measurement results of experimental modelling of a molten salt fast reactor concept will be presented and compared with three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation results. Purpose of this article is twofold, on one hand to introduce a geometry modification in order to avoid the disadvantages of the original geometry and discuss new measurement results. On the other hand to present an analysis in order to suggest a method of proper numerical modelling of the problem based on the comparison of calculation results and measurement data for the new, modified geometry. The investigated concept has a homogeneous cylindrical core without any internal structures. Previous measurements on the scaled and segmented plexiglas model of the concept core and simulation results have shown that this core geometry could be optimized for better thermal-hydraulics characteristics. In case of the original geometry strong undesired flow separation could develop, that could negatively affect the characteristics of the core from neutronics point of view as well. An internal flow distributor plate was designed and installed with the purpose of optimizing the flow field in the core by enhancing its uniformity. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurement results of the modified experimental model will be presented and compared to numerical simulation results with the purpose of CFD model validation.