Advanced Neutron Source Reactor Thermal Analysis of Fuel Plate Defects

Advanced Neutron Source Reactor Thermal Analysis of Fuel Plate Defects PDF Author:
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Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The Advanced Neutron Source Reactor (ANSR) is a research reactor designed to provide the highest continuous neutron beam intensity of any reactor in the world. The present technology for determining safe operations were developed for the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). These techniques are conservative and provide confidence in the safe operation of HFIR. However, the more intense requirements of ANSR necessitate the development of more accurate, but still conservative, techniques. This report details the development of a Local Analysis Technique (LAT) that provides an appropriate approach. Application of the LAT to two ANSR core designs are presented. New theories of the thermal and nuclear behavior of the U[sub 3]Si[sub 2] fuel are utilized. The implications of lower fuel enrichment and of modifying the inspection procedures are also discussed. Development of the computer codes that enable the automate execution of the LAT is included.

Advanced Neutron Source Reactor Thermal Analysis of Fuel Plate Defects

Advanced Neutron Source Reactor Thermal Analysis of Fuel Plate Defects PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The Advanced Neutron Source Reactor (ANSR) is a research reactor designed to provide the highest continuous neutron beam intensity of any reactor in the world. The present technology for determining safe operations were developed for the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). These techniques are conservative and provide confidence in the safe operation of HFIR. However, the more intense requirements of ANSR necessitate the development of more accurate, but still conservative, techniques. This report details the development of a Local Analysis Technique (LAT) that provides an appropriate approach. Application of the LAT to two ANSR core designs are presented. New theories of the thermal and nuclear behavior of the U[sub 3]Si[sub 2] fuel are utilized. The implications of lower fuel enrichment and of modifying the inspection procedures are also discussed. Development of the computer codes that enable the automate execution of the LAT is included.

Creep Analysis of Fuel Plates for the Advanced Neutron Source

Creep Analysis of Fuel Plates for the Advanced Neutron Source PDF Author:
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Languages : en
Pages : 43

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Book Description
The reactor for the planned Advanced Neutron Source will use closely spaced arrays of fuel plates. The plates are thin and will have a core containing enriched uranium silicide fuel clad in aluminum. The heat load caused by the nuclear reactions within the fuel plates will be removed by flowing high-velocity heavy water through narrow channels between the plates. However, the plates will still be at elevated temperatures while in service, and the potential for excessive plate deformation because of creep must be considered. An analysis to include creep for deformation and stresses because of temperature over a given time span has been performed and is reported herein.

Finite Element Analysis of Advanced Neutron Source Fuel Plates

Finite Element Analysis of Advanced Neutron Source Fuel Plates PDF Author:
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Languages : en
Pages : 24

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Book Description
The proposed design for the Advanced Neutron Source reactor core consists of closely spaced involute fuel plates. Coolant flows between the plates at high velocities. It is vital that adjacent plates do not come in contact and that the coolant channels between the plates remain open. Several scenarios that could result in problems with the fuel plates are studied. Finite element analyses are performed on fuel plates under pressure from the coolant flowing between the plates at a high velocity, under pressure because of a partial flow blockage in one of the channels, and with different temperature profiles.

Fuel Plate Stability Experiments and Analysis for the Advanced Neutron Source

Fuel Plate Stability Experiments and Analysis for the Advanced Neutron Source PDF Author:
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Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description
The planned reactor for the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) will use closely spaced arrays of involute-shaped fuel plates that will be cooled by water flowing through the channels between the plates. There is concern that at certain coolant flow velocities, adjacent plates may deflect and touch, with resulting failure of the plates. Experiments have been conducted at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to examine this potential phenomenon. Results of the experiments and comparison with analytical predictions are reported. The tests were conducted using full-scale epoxy plate models of the aluminum/uranium silicide ANS involute-shaped fuel plates. Use of epoxy plates and model theory allowed lower flow velocities and pressures to explore the potential failure mechanism. Plate deflections and channel pressures as functions of the flow velocity are examined. Comparisons with mathematical models are noted.

Structural Thermal Tests on Advanced Neutron Source Reactor Fuel Plates

Structural Thermal Tests on Advanced Neutron Source Reactor Fuel Plates PDF Author:
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Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Book Description
The thin aluminum-clad fuel plates proposed for the Advanced Neutron Source reactor are stressed by the high-velocity coolant flowing on each side of the plates and by the thermal gradients in the plates. The total stress, composed of the sum of the flow stress and the thermal stress at a point, could be reduced if the thermal loads tend to relax when the stress magnitude approaches the yield stress of the material. The potential of this occurring would be very significant in assessing the structural reliability of the fuel plates and has been investigated through experiment. The results of this investigation are given in this report.

Modeling and Analysis Framework for Core Damage Propagation During Flow-blockage-initiated Accidents in the Advanced Neutron Source Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Modeling and Analysis Framework for Core Damage Propagation During Flow-blockage-initiated Accidents in the Advanced Neutron Source Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory PDF Author:
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 43

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Book Description
This paper describes modeling and analysis to evaluate the extent of core damage during flow blockage events in the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) reactor planned to be built at ORNL. Damage propagation is postulated to occur from thermal conduction between dmaged and undamaged plates due to direct thermal contact. Such direct thermal contact may occur beause of fuel plate swelling during fission product vapor release or plate buckling. Complex phenomena of damage propagation were modeled using a one-dimensional heat transfer model. A parametric study was done for several uncertain variables. The study included investigating effects of plate contact area, convective heat transfer coefficient, thermal conductivity on fuel swelling, and initial temperature of the plate being contacted by the damaged plate. Also, the side support plates were modeled to account for their effects of damage propagation. Results provide useful insights into how variouss uncertain parameters affect damage propagation.

Flow Blockage Analysis for the Advanced Neutron Source Reactor

Flow Blockage Analysis for the Advanced Neutron Source Reactor PDF Author:
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 43

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Book Description
The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) reactor was designed to provide a research tool with capabilities beyond those of any existing reactors. One portion of its state-of-the-art design required high-speed fluid flow through narrow channels between the fuel plates in the core. Experience with previous reactors has shown that fuel plate damage can occur when debris becomes lodged at the entrance to these channels. Such debris disrupts the fluid flow to the plate surfaces and can prevent adequate cooling of the fuel. Preliminary ANS designs addressed this issue by providing an unheated entrance length for each fuel plate so that any flow disruption would recover, thus providing adequate heat removal from the downstream, heated portions of the fuel plates. As part of the safety analysis, the adequacy of this unheated entrance length was assessed using both analytical models and experimental measurements. The Flow Blockage Test Facility (FBTF) was designed and built to conduct experiments in an environment closely matching the ANS channel geometry. The FBTF permitted careful measurements of both heat transfer and hydraulic parameters. In addition to these experimental efforts, a thin, rectangular channel was modeled using the Fluent computational fluid dynamics computer code. The numerical results were compared with the experimental data to benchmark the hydrodynamics of the model. After this comparison, the model was extended to include those elements of the safety analysis that were difficult to measure experimentally. These elements included the high wall heat flux pattern and variable fluid properties. The results were used to determine the relationship between potential blockage sizes and the unheated entrance length required.

The Advanced Neutron Source Three-element-core Fuel Grading

The Advanced Neutron Source Three-element-core Fuel Grading PDF Author:
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 8

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Book Description
The proposed Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) pre-conceptual design consists of a two-element 330 MW{sub f} nuclear reactor fueled with highly-enriched uranium and is cooled, moderated, and reflected with heavy water. Recently, the ANS design has been changed to a three-element configuration in order to permit a reduction of the enrichment, if required, while maintaining or improving the thermal-hydraulic margins. The core consists of three annular fuel elements composed of involute-shaped fuel plates. Each fuel plate has a thickness of 1.27 mm and consists of a fuel meat region Of U3Si2-Al (50% enriched in one case that was proposed) and an aluminum filler region between aluminum cladding. The individual plates are separated by a 1.27 mm coolant channel. The three element core has a fuel loading of 31 kg of 235U which is sufficient for a 17-day fuel cycle. The goal in obtaining a new fuel grading is to maximize important temperature margins. The limits imposed axe: (1) Limit the temperature drop over the cladding oxide layer to less than 119°C to avoid oxide spallation. (2) Limit the fuel centerline temperature to less than 400°C to avoid fuel damage. (3) Limit the cladding wall temperature to less than the coolant. incipient-boiling temperature to avoid coolant boiling. Other thermal hydraulic conditions, such as critical heat flux, are also considered.

Follow-up Fuel Plate Stability Experiments and Analyses for the Advanced Neutron Source

Follow-up Fuel Plate Stability Experiments and Analyses for the Advanced Neutron Source PDF Author:
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 67

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Book Description
The reactor for the planned Advanced Neutron Source uses closely spaced plates cooled by heavy water flowing through narrow channels. Two sets of tests were performed on the upper and lower fuel plates for the structural response of the fuel plates to the required high coolant flow velocities. This report contains the data from the second round of tests. Results and conclusions from all of the tests are also included in this report. The tests were done using light water on full-scale epoxy models, and through model theory, the results were related to the prototype plates, which are aluminum-clad aluminum/uranium silicide involute-shaped plates.

Modeling and Analysis of Thermal-hydraulic Response of Uranium- Aluminum Reactor Fuel Plates Under Transient Heatup Conditions

Modeling and Analysis of Thermal-hydraulic Response of Uranium- Aluminum Reactor Fuel Plates Under Transient Heatup Conditions PDF Author:
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 19

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Book Description
A 3-D model to predict the thermal behavior of ANS (Advanced Neutron Source) fuel miniplates has been developed. Possibility of explosive boiling was considered, and it was concluded that the heating rates (existant in NSRR tests) are not large enough for this to occur. However, transient boiling effects were pronounced. Because of the complexity of transient pool boiling and the unavailability of experimental data for the situations studied, an approximation was made that predicted the data very well within the uncertainties present. If pool boiling from the miniplates had been assumed to be steady during the heating pulse, the experimental data would have been greatly overestimated. This shows the importance of considering the transient nature of heat transfer in analysis of reactivity excursion accidents. An additional contribution of this work is that it provided data on highly subcooled steady nucleate boiling from the cooling portion of the thermocouple traces.