Engineering topics

Ilas, Dan

Publications and source records attributed to Ilas, Dan.

23 records · Page 2

DOE OSTI2012

Neutronics and Depletion Methods for Parametric Studies of Fluoride Salt Cooled High Temperature Reactors with Slab Fuel Geometry and Multi-Batch Fuel Management Schemes

The Advanced High Temperature Reactor (AHTR) is a 3400 MWth fluoride salt cooled high temperature reactor (FHR) that uses TRISO particle fuel compacted into slabs rather than spherical fuel pebbles or cylindrical fuel compacts. Simplified methods are required for parametric design studies such that analyzing the entire feasible design space for an AHTR is tractable. These simplifications include fuel homogenization techniques to increase the speed of neutron transport calculations in depletion analysis and equilibrium depletion analysis methods to analyze systems with multi-batch fuel management schemes. This paper presents three elements of significant novelty. First, the reactivity-equivalent physical transformation (RPT) methodology usually applied in systems with coated particle fuel in cylindrical and spherical geometries was extended to slab geometries. Secondly, based on this newly developed RPT method for slab geometries, a methodology that uses Monte Carlo depletion approaches was further developed to search for the maximum discharge burnup in a multi-batch system by iteratively estimating the beginning of equilibrium cycle composition and sampling different discharge burnups. This iterative equilibrium depletion search (IEDS) method fully defines an equilibrium fuel cycle (keff, power, flux and composition evolutions across space and time), but is computationally demanding, although feasible on single-processor workstations. Finally, an analytical method, the non-linear reactivity model, was developed by expanding the linear reactivity model to include an arbitrary number of higher order terms to extrapolate single-batch depletion results to estimate the maximum discharge burnup and BOEC keff in systems with multi-batch fuel management schemes. Results from this method were benchmarked against equilibrium depletion analysis results using the IEDS.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2012

Verification of a Depletion Method in SCALE for the Advanced High Temperature Reactor

This study describes a new method utilizing the Dancoff factor to model a non-standard TRISO fuel form characteristic of the AHTR reactor design concept for depletion analysis using the TRITON sequence of SCALE and the validation of this method by code-to-code comparisons. The fuel used in AHTR has the TRISO particles concentrated along the edges of a slab fuel element. This particular geometry prevented the use of a standard DOUBLEHET treatment, previously developed in SCALE to handle NGNP-designed fuel. The new method permits fuel depletion on complicated geometries that traditionally can be handled only by continuous energy based depletion code systems. The method was initially tested on a fuel design typical of the NGNP, where the DOUBLEHET treatment is available. A more comprehensive study was performed using the VESTA code that uses the continuous energy MCNP5 code as a transport solver and ORIGEN2.2 code for depletion calculations. Comparisons of the results indicate good agreement of whole core characteristics, such as the multiplication factor, and the isotopics, including their spatial distribution. Key isotopes analyzed included 235U, 239Pu, 240Pu and 241Pu. The results from this study indicate that the Dancoff factor method can generate estimates of core characteristics with reasonable precision for scoping studies of configurations where the DOUBLEHET treatment is unavailable.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2012

Advanced High Temperature Reactor Neutronic Core Design

The AHTR is a 3400 MW(t) FHR class reactor design concept intended to serve as a central generating station type power plant. While significant technology development and demonstration remains, the basic design concept appears sound and tolerant of much of the remaining performance uncertainty. No fundamental impediments have been identified that would prevent widespread deployment of the concept. This paper focuses on the preliminary neutronic design studies performed at ORNL during the fiscal year 2011. After a brief presentation of the AHTR design concept, the paper summarizes several neutronic studies performed at ORNL during 2011. An optimization study for the AHTR core is first presented. The temperature and void coefficients of reactivity are then analyzed for a few configurations of interest. A discussion of the limiting factors due to the fast neutron fluence follows. The neutronic studies conclude with a discussion of the control and shutdown options. The studies presented confirm that sound neutronic alternatives exist for the design of the AHTR to maintain full passive safety features and reasonable operation conditions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2012

Current Status of the Advanced High Temperature Reactor

The Advanced High Temperature Reactor (AHTR) is a design concept for a central station type [1500 MW(e)] Fluoride salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR) that is currently under development by Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy's Advanced Reactor Concepts program. FHRs, by definition, feature low-pressure liquid fluoride salt cooling, coated-particle fuel, a high-temperature power cycle, and fully passive decay heat rejection. The overall goal of the AHTR development program is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of FHRs as low-cost, large-size power producers while maintaining full passive safety. The AHTR design option exploration is a multidisciplinary design effort that combines core neutronic and fuel configuration evaluation with structural, thermal, and hydraulic analysis to produce a reactor and vessel concept and place it within a power generation station. The AHTR design remains at the notional level of maturity, as key technologies require further development and a logically complete integrated design has not been finalized. The present design space exploration, however, indicates that reasonable options exist for the AHTR core, primary heat transport path, and fuel cycle provided that materials and systems technologies develop as anticipated.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Core and Refueling Design Studies for the Advanced High Temperature Reactor

The Advanced High Temperature Reactor (AHTR) is a design concept for a central generating station type [3400 MW(t)] fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR). The overall goal of the AHTR development program is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of FHRs as low-cost, large-size power producers while maintaining full passive safety. This report presents the current status of ongoing design studies of the core, in-vessel structures, and refueling options for the AHTR. The AHTR design remains at the notional level of maturity as important material, structural, neutronic, and hydraulic issues remain to be addressed. The present design space exploration, however, indicates that reasonable options exist for the AHTR core, primary heat transport path, and fuel cycle provided that materials and systems technologies develop as anticipated. An illustration of the current AHTR core, reactor vessel, and nearby structures is shown in Fig. ES1. The AHTR core design concept is based upon 252 hexagonal, plate fuel assemblies configured to form a roughly cylindrical core. The core has a fueled height of 5.5 m with 25 cm of reflector above and below the core. The fuel assembly hexagons are {approx}45 cm across the flats. Each fuel assembly contains 18 plates that are 23.9 cm wide and 2.55 cm thick. The reactor vessel has an exterior diameter of 10.48 m and a height of 17.7 m. A row of replaceable graphite reflector prismatic blocks surrounds the core radially. A more complete reactor configuration description is provided in Section 2 of this report. The AHTR core design space exploration was performed under a set of constraints. Only low enrichment (<20%) uranium fuel was considered. The coated particle fuel and matrix materials were derived from those being developed and demonstrated under the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) advanced gas reactor program. The coated particle volumetric packing fraction was restricted to at most 40%. The pressure drop across the core was restricted to no more than 1.5 atm during normal operation to minimize the upward force on the core. Also, the flow velocity in the core was restricted to 3 m/s to minimize erosion of the fuel plates. Section 3.1.1 of this report discusses the design restrictions in more detail.

Holcomb, David Eugene↗