Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Safety analysis of HWRR test fuel assembly in Tehran Research Reactor core using open loop test facility

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

E. Abedi,
H. Khalafi
S.M. Mirvakili

Reactor and Nuclear Safety Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.Box: 14155-1339, Tehran-Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2021.1300
Abstract
HWRR element is an instrumented fuel assembly constructed based on JCPOA conceptual design parameters for Arak reactor. The in-core experiments of the fuel are carried out in TRR core to evaluate neutronic and thermal-hydraulic parameters using an experimental facility called Open Loop Test Facility (OLTF). Safety analysis of the OLTF anticipated incidents is one of the necessary steps before its implementation. Therefore, three severe anticipated accident scenarios have been simulated, including two LOFA scenarios and the instant post SCRAM cooling by natural circulation. The neutronic calculation has been carried out by MCNPX code to determine fuel rods power and thermal-hydraulic analysis using CFD method. The analysis results show that the clad surface temperature violates coolant saturation temperature and void will arise in both LOFA scenarios. However, both clad and fuel temperatures keep significant margins to their design criteria and fuel rod integrity would be retained completely. The results also show that the coolant temperature remains lower than saturation temperature in the case of decay heat removing via natural cooling scenario.

Highlights

1.   N. F. Harrison, AECL’S Experimental Fuel and Materials Test Loops in NRU, IAEA-TECDOC-CD-1726, International Atomic Energy Agency (2013) 123-131.

 

2.  B.G. Kim, J. M. Sohn, K.N. Choo, Development Status of Irradiation Devices and Instrumentation for Material and Nuclear Fuel Irradiation Tests in HANARO, Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 42 (2009) 203-210.

 

3.     W. Wiesenack, T. Tverberg, The OECD Halden reactor project fuels testing programme: methods, selected results and plans, Nuclear Engineering and Design, 207 (2001) 189-197.

 

4.    M. Ishihara, and et al., Current Status Of Jmtr. 6th International Symposium on Material Testing Reactors, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina (2013)  28-31.

 

5.   M.A. Fütterer, and et al., Next generation fuel irradiation capability in the High Flux Reactor Petten. Journal of Nuclear Materials, 392 (2009) 184-191.

 

6.   S. Ahn et al., Development of Fuel Test Loop in HANARO, JAEA Conference-2008, (2008).

 

7.  AEOI, Final Safety Analysis Report of Tehran Research Reactor, (2009).

 

8.  S.S. Arshi, H. Khalafi, and M.M. Mirvakili, Assessment of safety aspects of first rod-type fuel irradiation at Tehran research reactor, Part I: Neutronic analysis, Progress in Nuclear Energy 79, 56-63 (2015).

 

9.  S.S. Arshi, H. Khalafi, and M.M. Mirvakili, Preliminary thermal-hydraulic safety analysis of Tehran research reactor during fuel irradiation experiment, Progress in Nuclear Energy 79, 32-39 (2015).

 

10.  Iran and E3+3, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action-JCPOA, (2015).

 

11.  D. B. Pelowitz, MCNPX User’s Manual, Version 2.6.0, (2008).

 

12.  Daxesoft Ltd., PIPE FLOW EXPERT User Guide, http://www.pipeflow.co.uk, (2016).

 

13.   ANSYS, ANSYS-fluent User's Guide. Release 17.0, (2016).

 

14.   A. G. Grofft, A user manual for the ORIGEN2.1 computer code, ORNL/TM-7175 Oak Ridge National Laboratory, (1980).

 

15.   Ministry of Russian Federation of Atomic Energy, Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR), BUSHEHR VVER-1000 reactor, unit 1(2007) Ch. 4.

 

16.  Grofft, A. G., A user manual for the ORIGEN2.1 computer code, Rep. ORNL/TM-7175 Oak Ridge National Laboratory (1980).

Keywords

HWRR instrumented fuel assembly
Open loop test facility
Tehran research reactor
LOFA analysis
1.   N. F. Harrison, AECL’S Experimental Fuel and Materials Test Loops in NRU, IAEA-TECDOC-CD-1726, International Atomic Energy Agency (2013) 123-131.
 
2.  B.G. Kim, J. M. Sohn, K.N. Choo, Development Status of Irradiation Devices and Instrumentation for Material and Nuclear Fuel Irradiation Tests in HANARO, Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 42 (2009) 203-210.
 
3.     W. Wiesenack, T. Tverberg, The OECD Halden reactor project fuels testing programme: methods, selected results and plans, Nuclear Engineering and Design, 207 (2001) 189-197.
 
4.    M. Ishihara, and et al., Current Status Of Jmtr. 6th International Symposium on Material Testing Reactors, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina (2013)  28-31.
 
5.   M.A. Fütterer, and et al., Next generation fuel irradiation capability in the High Flux Reactor Petten. Journal of Nuclear Materials, 392 (2009) 184-191.
 
6.   S. Ahn et al., Development of Fuel Test Loop in HANARO, JAEA Conference-2008, (2008).
 
7.  AEOI, Final Safety Analysis Report of Tehran Research Reactor, (2009).
 
8.  S.S. Arshi, H. Khalafi, and M.M. Mirvakili, Assessment of safety aspects of first rod-type fuel irradiation at Tehran research reactor, Part I: Neutronic analysis, Progress in Nuclear Energy 79, 56-63 (2015).
 
9.  S.S. Arshi, H. Khalafi, and M.M. Mirvakili, Preliminary thermal-hydraulic safety analysis of Tehran research reactor during fuel irradiation experiment, Progress in Nuclear Energy 79, 32-39 (2015).
 
10.  Iran and E3+3, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action-JCPOA, (2015).
 
11.  D. B. Pelowitz, MCNPX User’s Manual, Version 2.6.0, (2008).
 
12.  Daxesoft Ltd., PIPE FLOW EXPERT User Guide, http://www.pipeflow.co.uk, (2016).
 
13.   ANSYS, ANSYS-fluent User's Guide. Release 17.0, (2016).
 
14.   A. G. Grofft, A user manual for the ORIGEN2.1 computer code, ORNL/TM-7175 Oak Ridge National Laboratory, (1980).
 
15.   Ministry of Russian Federation of Atomic Energy, Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR), BUSHEHR VVER-1000 reactor, unit 1(2007) Ch. 4.
 
16.  Grofft, A. G., A user manual for the ORIGEN2.1 computer code, Rep. ORNL/TM-7175 Oak Ridge National Laboratory (1980).

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