• Title/Summary/Keyword: Small reactor

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Electric power frequency and nuclear safety - Subsynchronous resonance case study

  • Volkanovski, Andrija;Prosek, Andrej
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.51 no.4
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    • pp.1017-1023
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    • 2019
  • The increase of the alternate current frequency results in increased rotational speed of the electrical motors and connected pumps. The consequence for the reactor coolant pumps is increased flow in primary coolant system. Increase of the current frequency can be initiated by the subsynchronous resonance phenomenon (SSR). This paper analyses the implications of the SSR and consequential increase of the frequency on the nuclear power plant safety. The Simulink $MATLAB^{(R)}$ model of the steam turbine and governor system and RELAP5 computer code of the pressurized water reactor are used in the analysis. The SSR results in fast increase of reactor coolant pumps speed and flow in the primary coolant system. The turbine trip value is reached in short time following SSR. The increase of flow of reactor coolant pumps results in increase of heat removal from reactor core. This results in positive reactivity insertion with reactor power increase of 0.5% before reactor trip is initiated by the turbine trip. The main parameters of the plant did not exceed the values of reactor trip set points. The pressure drop over reactor core is small discarding the possibility of core barrel lift.

Numerical Simulations of Subcritical Reactor Kinetics in Thermal Hydraulic Transient Phases

  • J. Yoo;Park, W. S.
    • Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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    • 1998.05a
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    • pp.149-154
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    • 1998
  • A subcritical reactor driven by a linear proton accelerator has been considered as a nuclear waste incinerator at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI). Since the multiplication factor of a subcritical reactor is less than unity, to compensate exponentially decreasing fission neutrons from spallation reactions are essentially required for operating the reactor in its steady state. furthermore, the profile of accelerator beam currents is very important in controlling a subcritical reactor, because the reactor power varies in accordance of the profile of external neutrons. We have developed a code system to find numerical solutions of reactor kinetics equations, which are the simplest dynamic model for controlling reactors. In a due course of our previous numerical study of point kinetics equations for critical reactors, however, we learned that the same code system can be used in studying dynamic behavior of the subcritical reactor. Our major motivation of this paper is to investigate responses of subcritical reactors for small changes in thermal hydraulic parameters. Building a thermal hydraulic model for the subcritical reactor dynamics, we performed numerical simulations for dynamic responses of the reactor based on point kinetics equations with a source term. Linearizing a set of coupled differential equations for reactor responses, we focus our research interest on dynamic responses of the reactor to variations of the thermal hydraulic parameters in transient phases.

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A study on non-thermal plasma reactor for generation of negative ions (음이온 발생을 위한 저온 플라즈마 반응기 개발에 관한 연구)

  • Yu, Guang-Xun;Chae, Jae-Ou;Kim, Woo-Hyung;Wei, Wei;Wang, Hui
    • Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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    • 2007.05b
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    • pp.2344-2347
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    • 2007
  • To generate negative ion, a small dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor was used in this study and operated by high AC voltage. With increasing of voltage, we can get more negative ions. However unfortunately, if the input voltage is too high, it will also cause formation of ozone which is very harmful to human being health. So the work of finding out the best condition of Voltage and frequency was carried out firstly. After several times of measurement, operating at 20 kHz frequency is the best condition generating high ion concentration without ozone. For the purpose of finding out the best reactor structure, two types of surface dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactors were examined to produce negative oxygen ions at the conditions of 20 kHz frequency. The results indicated that the surface DBD reactor with several small tips showed better characteristics for generation of negative oxygen ions at the same condition.

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AM600: A New Look at the Nuclear Steam Cycle

  • Field, Robert M.
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.49 no.3
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    • pp.621-631
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    • 2017
  • Many developing countries considering the introduction of nuclear power find that large-scale reactor plants in the range of 1,000 MWe to 1,600 MWe are not grid appropriate for their current circumstance. By contrast, small modular reactors are generally too small to make significant contributions toward rapidly growing electricity demand and to date have not been demonstrated. This paper proposes a radically simplified re-design for the nuclear steam cycle for a medium-sized reactor plant in the range of 600 MWe. Historically, balance of plant designs for units of this size have emphasized reliability and efficiency. It will be demonstrated here that advances over the past 50 years in component design, materials, and fabrication techniques allow both of these goals to be met with a less complex design. A disciplined approach to reduce component count will result in substantial benefits in the life cycle cost of the units. Specifically, fabrication, transportation, construction, operations, and maintenance costs and expenses can all see significant reductions. In addition, the design described here can also be expected to significantly reduce both construction duration and operational requirements for maintenance and inspections.

Multi-batch core design study for innovative small modular reactor based on centrally-shielded burnable absorber

  • Steven Wijaya;Xuan Ha Nguyen;Yunseok Jeong;Yonghee Kim
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.56 no.3
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    • pp.907-915
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    • 2024
  • Various core designs with multi-batch fuel management (FM) are proposed and optimized for an innovative small modular reactor (iSMR), focusing on enhancing the inherent safety and neutronic performance. To achieve soluble-boron-free (SBF) operation, cylindrical centrally-shielded burnable absorbers (CSBAs) are utilized, reducing the burnup reactivity swing in both two- and three-batch FMs. All 69 fuel assemblies (FAs) are loaded with 2-cylindrical CSBA. Furthermore, the neutron economy is improved by deploying a truly-optimized PWR (TOP) lattice with a smaller fuel radius, optimized for neutron moderation under the SBF condition. The fuel shuffling and CSBA loading patterns are proposed for both 2- and 3-batch FM with the aim to lower the core leakage and achieve favorable power profiles. Numerical results show that both FM configurations achieve a small reactivity swing of about 1000 pcm and the power distributions are within the design criteria. The average discharge burnup in the two-batch core is comparable to three-batch commercial PWR like APR-1400. The proposed checker-board CR pattern with extended fingers effectively assures cold shutdown in the two-batch FM scenario, while in the three-batch FM, three N-1 scenarios are failed. The whole evaluation process is conducted using Monte Carlo Serpent 2 code in conjunction with ENDF/B-VII.1 nuclear library.

Transient analysis of a subcritical reactor core with a MOX-Fuel using the birth-and-death model

  • Korbu, Tamara;Kuzmin, Andrei;Rudak, Eduard;Kravchenko, Maksim
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.53 no.6
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    • pp.1731-1735
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    • 2021
  • The operation of the nuclear reactor requires accurate and fast methods and techniques for analysing its kinetics. These techniques become even more important when the MOX-fuel is used due to the lower value of delayed neutron fraction 𝛽 for 239Pu. Based on a Birth-and-Death process review, the mathematical model of thermal reactor core has been proposed different from existing ones. The analytical method for thermal point-reactor parameters evaluation is described within this work. The proposed method is applied for analysis of the unsteady transient processes taking place in a thermal reactor at its start-up or shutdown power change, as well as during small accidental power variation from the rated value. Theoretical determination of MASURCA reactor core reactivity through the analysis of experimental data on neutron time spectra was made.

Effects of the Redox Potential of the Acidogenic Reactor on the Performance of a Two-Stage Methanogenic Reactor

  • Phae, Chae-Gun;Lee, Wan-Kyu;Kim, Byung-Hong;Koh, Jong-Ho;Kim, Sang-Won
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.30-35
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    • 1996
  • Distillery wastewater was used in a thermophilic laboratory-scale two stage anaerobic digester to test the effects of the redox potential of the first acidogenic reactor on the performance of the system. The digester consisted of first a acidogenic reactor and the an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. The digestor was operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 48 h. Under these conditions, about 90% of the chemical oxygen demand as measured by the chromate method ($COD_{cr}$) was removed with a gas production yield of 0.4 l/g-COD removed. The redox potential of the acidogenic reactor was increased when the reactor was purged with nitrogen gas or agitation speed was increased. The increase in reduction potential was accompanied by an increase in acetate production and a decrease in butyrate formation. A similar trend was observed when a small amount of air was introduced into the acidogenic reactor. It is believed that the hydrogen partial pressure in the acidogenic reactor was decreased by the above mentioned treatments. The possible failure of anaerobic digestion processes due to over-loading could be avoided by the above mentioned treatments.

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Design of a Mixed-Spectrum Reactor With Improved Proliferation Resistance for Long-Lived Applications

  • Abou-Jaoude, Abdalla;Erickson, Anna;Stauff, Nicolas
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.359-367
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    • 2018
  • Long-lived Small Modular Reactors are being promoted as an innovative way of catering to emerging markets and isolated regions. They can be operated continuously for decades without requiring additional fuel. A novel configuration of long-lived reactor core employs a mixed neutron spectrum, providing an improvement in nonproliferation metrics and in safety characteristics. Starting with a base sodium reactor design, moderating material is inserted in outer core assemblies to modify the fast spectrum. The assemblies are shuffled once during core lifetime to ensure that every fuel rod is exposed to the thermalized spectrum. The Mixed Spectrum Reactor is able to maintain a core lifetime over two decades while ensuring the plutonium it breeds is below the weapon-grade limit at the fuel discharge. The main drawbacks of the design are higher front-end fuel cycle costs and a 58% increase in core volume, although it is alleviated to some extent by a 48% higher power output.

A Study on the Treatment Efficiency of Sequencing Batch Reactor with the Livestock Nightsoil Organic Loading Rate Variance (가축분뇨 유기물질부가별 연속회분식반응조 효율에 관한 연구)

  • 여운호
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.32-36
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    • 1995
  • This study was carried out to investigate the treatment efficiency of sequencing batch reactor when the livestock nightsoil organic loading rate was varied. Sequencing batch reactor was operated with the variance of influent BOD concentration and operating cycle. The average influent BOD concentrations in this study were 150 mg/l, 200 mg/l, 250 mg/l, 300 mg/l, 350 mg/l, 400 mg/l, 450 mg/l and 500 mg/l in the condition of 1~3 cycles/day. The treatment efficiency of sequencing batch reactor is good at the volumetric loading of 0.05~0.20 kg $BOD/m^3\cdot day$. Therefore, sequencing batch reactor process would become an effective alternative for the process of small scale livestock nightsoil treatment plants.

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Optimum Radial Build of a Low Aspect Ratio Tokamak Reactor

  • Hong, B.G.;Hwang, Y.S.;Kang, J.S.
    • Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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    • 2011.02a
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    • pp.397-397
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    • 2011
  • In a low aspect ratio (LAR) tokamak reactor with a superconducting toroidal field (TF) coil, the radial build of TF coil and the shield play a key role in determining the size of a reactor. For self-consistent determination of the reactor components and physics parameters, a system analysis code is coupled with one-dimensional radiation transport code. Conceptual design study of a compact superconducting LAR tokamak reactor with aspect ratio less than 2.5 was conducted and the optimum radial build was identified. It is shown that the use of an improved shielding material and high temperature superconducting magnets with high critical current density opens up the possibility of a fusion power plant with compact size and small re-circulating power simultaneously at low aspect ratio, and that by using an inboard neutron reflector instead of breeding blanket, tritium self-sufficiency is possible with outboard blanket only and thus compact sized reactor is viable.

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