DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

The impact of fuel depletion scheme within SCALE code on the criticality of spent fuel pool with RBMK fuel assemblies

  • Andrius Slavickas (Laboratory of Nuclear Installation Safety, Lithuanian Energy Institute) ;
  • Tadas Kaliatka (Laboratory of Nuclear Installation Safety, Lithuanian Energy Institute) ;
  • Raimondas Pabarcius (Laboratory of Nuclear Installation Safety, Lithuanian Energy Institute) ;
  • Sigitas Rimkevicius (Laboratory of Nuclear Installation Safety, Lithuanian Energy Institute)
  • 투고 : 2022.05.24
  • 심사 : 2022.08.03
  • 발행 : 2022.12.25

초록

RBMK fuel assemblies differ from other LWR FA due to a specific arrangement of the fuel rods, the low enrichment, and the used burnable absorber - erbium. Therefore, there is a challenge to adapt modeling tools, developed for other LWR types, to solve RBMK problems. A set of 10 different depletion simulation schemes were tested to estimate the impact on reactivity and spent fuel composition of possible SCALE code options for the neutron transport modelling and the use of different nuclear data libraries. The simulations were performed using cross-section libraries based on both, VII.0 and VII.1, versions of ENDF/B nuclear data, and assuming continuous energy and multigroup simulation modes, standard and user-defined Dancoff factor values, and employing deterministic and Monte Carlo methods. The criticality analysis with burn-up credit was performed for the SFP loaded with RBMK-1500 FA. Spent fuel compositions were taken from each of 10 performed depletion simulations. The criticality of SFP is found to be overestimated by up to 0.08% in simulation cases using user-defined Dancoff factors comparing the results obtained using the continuous energy library (VII.1 version of ENDF/B nuclear data). It was shown that such discrepancy is determined by the higher U-235 and Pu-239 isotopes concentrations calculated.

키워드

과제정보

The authors would like to thank the lab staff for valuable discussions and comments during preparation of this article. This study received no external funding.

참고문헌

  1. V. Vlaskin, G. Krivosein, B. Dizik, V. Stebenev, A. Kaliatka, E. Urbonaviꠑcius, Development of a management plan for beyond design basis accidents for the RBMK-1500 reactors of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, Energetika 53 (2007) 19 (In Russian). 
  2. VATESI, Scientific and technical support during the control in connection with the transition to the use of 2.8% enriched uranium-erbium fuel in the aspects of radiation and nuclear safety assessment of Ignalina NPP, Tech. rep., 2004. TASpd -1299-70796. 
  3. L. Agrenius, Criticality Safety Calculations of Disposal Canisters, SKBdoc 1193244, Version 4.0, Svensk Karnbranslehatering AB, 2010. 
  4. V. Remeikis, J. Grineviciute, G. Duꠑskesas, L. Juodis, R. Plukiene, A. Plukis, Review of modeling experience during operation and decommissioning of RBMK-1500 reactors. I. Safety improvement studies during operation, Nucl. Eng. Des. 380 (2021). ID 110952. 
  5. A. Slavickas, R. Pabarꠑcius, A. Tonkunas, S. Rimkevi ꠑcius, Neutron transport simulations of RBMK fuel assembly using multigroup and continuous energy data libraries within the SCALE code, Sci. Technol. Nucl. Install. 2021 (2021). ID 6673489. 
  6. Germina Ilas, Ian C. Gauld, Georgeta Radulescu, Validation of new depletion capabilities and ENDF/B-VII data libraries in SCALE, Ann. Nucl. Energy 46 (2012) 43-55.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2012.03.012
  7. Bamidele Ebiwonjumi, Hyunsuk Lee, Wonkyeong Kim, Deokjung Lee, Validation of nuclide depletion capabilities in Monte Carlo code MCS, Nucl. Eng. Technol. 52 (9) (2020) 1907-1916.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2020.02.017
  8. W. Marshall, B.J. Ade, S.M. Bowman, I.C. Gauld, G. Ilas, U. Mertyurek, G. Radulescu, Technical Basis for Peak Reactivity Burnup Credit for BWR Spent Nuclear Fuel in Storage and Transportation Systems, US.NRC, April 2015. ORNL/TM-2014/240. 
  9. I.C. Gauld, U. Mertyurek, Validation of BWR spent nuclear fuel isotopic predictions with applications to burnup credit, Nucl. Eng. Des. 345 (2019) 100-124. 
  10. M.I. Radaideh, D. Price, D. O'Grady, T. Kozlowski, Advanced BWR criticality safety part I: model development, model benchmarking, and depletion with uncertainty analysis, Prog. Nucl. Energy 113 (2019) 230-243.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2019.01.010
  11. J. Cardoni, N. Jeffrey, Jankovsky, Fukushima Daiichi Radionuclide Inventories, Sep 2016. SAND-2016-9065R, United States. 
  12. SCALE/TRITON Primer, A Primer for Light Water Reactor Lattice Physics Calculations, November 2012. ORNL/TM-2011/21. 
  13. H. Smith, Modeling depletion simulations for a high-burnup, highly heterogeneous BWR fuel assembly with SCALE, in: Proc. PHYSOR - Advances in Reactor Physics, American Nuclear Society, Knoxville TN, USA, 2012, 15-20 April,. 
  14. C. Mesado, D. Morera, R. Miro, T. Barrachina, G. Verdu, Alberto Concejal, Amparo Soler, Jose Melara, Comparison of depletion results for a Boiling Water Reactor fuel element with CASMO and SCALE 6.1 (TRITON/NEWT), in: INAC - International Nuclear Atlantic Conference, 2013. Recife, PE, Brazil, November 24-29. 
  15. R. Plukiene, A. Plukis, D. Germanas, V. Remeikis, Numerical sensitivity study of irradiated nuclear fuel evolution in the RBMK reactor, Lith. J. Phys. 49 (4) (2009) 461-469.  https://doi.org/10.3952/lithjphys.49410
  16. K. Almenas, A. Kaliatka, E. Uspuras, Ignalina RBMK-1500. A Source Book, Lithuanian Energy Institute, 1998. 
  17. Scale: A Comprehensive Modeling and Simulation Suite for Nuclear Safety Analysis and Design, ORNL/TM-2005/39, Version 6.1, June 2011. Available from Radiation Safety Information Computational Center at Oak Ridge Natl. Lab., CCC-785. 
  18. (Chapter 5). Accident analysis, Safety Analysis Report for Decommissioning Project for Ignalina NPP Unit 2 Final Shut Down and Defuelling Phase, Lithuanian Energy Institute, 2010. S/14-1037.8.9/SAAe/R:3. 
  19. Spent Nuclear Fuel Assay Data for Isotopic Validation vol. 5, June 2011. OECD&NEA, NEA/NSC/WPNCS/DOC(2011). 
  20. L.C. Leal, H. Derrien, M.E. Dunn, D.E. Mueller, Assessment of Fission Product Cross-Section Data for Burnup Credit Applications, 2007. ORNL/TM-2005/65, December. 
  21. Advanced Light Water Reactor Utility Requirements Document, 1999. EPRI, TR-016780-V1R2. 
  22. Regulatory Guide 1.13 Spent Fuel Storage Facility Design Basis, US.NRC, 2007.