Boiling Water Reactor Core Simulation with Generalized Isotopic Inventory Tracking for Actinide Management
Boiling Water Reactor Core Simulation with Generalized Isotopic Inventory Tracking for Actinide Management

Author: Jack Douglas Galloway

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13:

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The computational ability to accurately simulate boiling water reactor operation under the full range of standard steady-state operation, along with the capability to fully track the isotopic distribution of any fueled region in any location in the core has been developed. This new three-dimensional node-by-node capability can help designers track, for example, a full suite of minor and major actinides, fission products, and even light elements that result from depletion, decay, or transmutations. This isotopic tracking capability is not restricted to BWRs and can be employed in the modeling of PWRs, CANDUs, and other reactor types that can be modeled with the NESTLE code, the base core simulator employed in this research. To accurately simulate boiling water reactor operation, a major thermal-hydraulics upgrade was performed which involved the implementation of a drift-flux solution scheme to model steady-state boiling water flow. Sub-cooled boiling and bulk boiling are accurately modeled and a scheme for computing the correct flow distribution has been implemented. In addition, the incorporation of a nodal ORIGEN-based microscopic depletion solution has been included which allows for exceptional detail in tracking a large number of elements in every node of a core design, thus accounting for spectral dependencies such as moderator density effects, moderator temperature effects, fuel temperature effects, as well as controlled or uncontrolled conditions. The results of this study show the excellent fidelity of the two-phase solution for accurately predicting the boiling of water when compared to experimental results. Likewise, the isotopic inventory results show near-identical agreement with the well-established and validated ORIGEN-based SCALE/TRITON isotopic depletion sequence. The aim of these developments is to eventually produce a publicly available three-dimensional core simulator capable of assessing detailed isotopic inventories, a capability particularly valuable for the evaluation of recycling scenarios and actinide management in a variety of reactor types and fuel designs.

Pin-wise Loading Optimization and Lattice-to-core Coupling for Isotopic Management in Light Water Reactors
Pin-wise Loading Optimization and Lattice-to-core Coupling for Isotopic Management in Light Water Reactors

Author: Hermilo Hernandez-Noyola

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 111

ISBN-13:

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A generalized software capability has been developed for the pin-wise loading optimization of light water reactor (LWR) fuel lattices with the enhanced flexibility of control variables that characterize heterogeneous or blended target pins loaded with non-standard compositions, such as minor actinides (MAs). Furthermore, this study has developed the software coupling to evaluate the performance of optimized lattices outside their reflective boundary conditions and within the realistic three-dimensional core-wide environment of a LWR. The illustration of the methodologies and software tools developed helps provide a deeper understanding of the behavior of optimized lattices within a full core environment. The practical applications include the evaluation of the recycling (destruction) of "undesirable" minor actinides from spent nuclear fuel such as Am-241 in a thermal reactor environment, as well as the timely study of planting Np-237 (blended NpO2 + UO2) targets in the guide tubes of typical commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR) bundles for the production of Pu-238, a highly "desirable" radioisotope used as a heat source in radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). Both of these applications creatively stretch the potential utility of existing commercial nuclear reactors into areas historically reserved to research or hypothetical next-generation facilities. In an optimization sense, control variables include the loadings and placements of materials; U- 235, burnable absorbers, and MAs (Am-241 or Np-237), while the objective functions are either the destruction (minimization) of Am-241 or the production (maximization) of Pu-238. The constraints include the standard reactivity and thermal operational margins of a commercial nuclear reactor. Aspects of the optimization, lattice-to-core coupling, and tools herein developed were tested in a concurrent study (Galloway, 2010) in which heterogeneous lattices developed by this study were coupled to three-dimensional boiling water reactor (BWR) core simulations and showed incineration rates of Am-241 targets of around 90%. This study focused primarily upon PWR demonstrations, whereby a benchmarked reference equilibrium core was used as a test bed for MA-spiked lattices and was shown to satisfy standard PWR reactivity and thermal operational margins while exhibiting consistently high destruction rates of Am-241 and Np to Pu conversion rates of approximately 30% for the production of Pu-238.

Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy
Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy

Author: Thomas James Dolan

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2024-01-25

Total Pages: 1068

ISBN-13: 0323993567

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Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy, Second Edition is a fully updated comprehensive reference on the latest advances in MSR research and technology. Building on the successful first edition, Tom Dolan and the team of experts have fully updated the content to reflect the impressive advances from the last 5 years, ensuring this book continues to be the go-to reference on the topic. This new edition covers progress made in MSR design, details innovative experiments, and includes molten salt data, corrosion studies and deployment plans. The successful case studies section of the first edition have been removed, expanded, and fully updated, and are now published in a companion title called Global Case Studies on Molten Salt Reactors. Readers will gain a deep understanding of the advantages and challenges of MSR development and thorium fuel use, as well as step-by-step guidance on the latest in MSR reactor design. Each chapter provides a clear introduction, covers technical issues and includes examples and conclusions, while promoting the sustainability benefits throughout. A fully updated comprehensive handbook on Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy, written by a team of global experts Covers MSR applications, technical issues, reactor types and reactor designs Includes 3 brand new chapters which reflect the latest advances in research and technology since the first edition published Presents case studies on molten salt reactors which aid in the transition to net zero by providing abundant clean, safe energy to complement wind and solar powe

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Simulation System (VISTA)
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Simulation System (VISTA)

Author: International Atomic Energy Agency

Publisher: IAEA

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 112

ISBN-13:

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The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Simulation System (VISTA) is a simulation system which estimates long term nuclear fuel cycle material and service requirements as well as the material arising from the operation of nuclear fuel cycle facilities and nuclear power reactors. It is a scenario based simulation tool which can model several nuclear fuel cycle options including existing nuclear power reactor types and future possible reactor types. The past operations of the power reactors and fuel cycle facilities can be modelled in the system, in order to estimate the current amount of spent fuel stored or total Pu in stored spent fuel. It can also accept future projections for nuclear power and other scenario parameters in order to predict future fuel cycle material requirements.The model has been designed to be an optimum mixture of simplicity, speed and accuracy. It does not require too many input parameters if the purpose is just to compare the requirements for selected scenarios. Furthermore, the accuracy of the system can be improved by introducing more detailed and correct sets of input parameters.

Handbook of Nuclear Engineering
Handbook of Nuclear Engineering

Author: Dan Gabriel Cacuci

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2010-09-14

Total Pages: 3701

ISBN-13: 0387981306

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This is an authoritative compilation of information regarding methods and data used in all phases of nuclear engineering. Addressing nuclear engineers and scientists at all levels, this book provides a condensed reference on nuclear engineering since 1958.