Decay heat in fast reactors with transuranic fuels

In this work, we performed an evaluation of decay heat power of advanced, fast spectrum, lead and molten salt-cooled reactors, with flexible conversion ratio. The decay heat power was calculated using the BGCore computer code, which explicitly tracks over 1700 isotopes in the fuel throughout its burnup and subsequent decay. In the first stage, the capability of the BGCore code to accurately predict the decay heat power was verified by performing a benchmark calculation for a typical UO2 fuel in a Pressurized Water Reactor environment against the (ANSI/ANS-5.1-2005, "Decay Heat Power in Light Water Reactors," American National Standard) standard. Very good agreement (within 5%) between the two methods was obtained. Once BGCore calculation capabilities were verified, we calculated decay power for fast reactors with different coolants and conversion ratios, for which no standard procedure is currently available. Notable differences were observed for the decay power of the advanced reactor as compared with the conventional UO2 LWR. The importance of the observed differences was demonstrated by performing a simulation of a Station Blackout transient with the RELAP5 computer code for a lead-cooled fast reactor. The simulation was performed twice: using the code-default ANS-79 decay heat curve and using the curve calculated specifically for the studied core by BGCore code. The differences in the decay heat power resulted in failure to meet maximum cladding temperature limit criteria by ∼100 °C in the latter case, while in the transient simulation with the ANS-79 decay heat curve, all safety limits were satisfied. The results of this study show that the design of new reactor safety systems must be based on decay power curves specific to each individual case in order to assure the desired performance of these systems. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The potential use of 241Am as proliferation resistant burnable poison

This paper discusses the use of 141Am as proliferation resistant burnable poison for light water reactors. Homogeneous addition of small (less than 1 %) amounts of 241Am to the conventional LWR fuel results in significant increase in 238Pu/Pu ratio in the discharged fuel improving its proliferation resistance. Moreover, 241Am, admixed to the fuel, acts as burnable absorber allowing for substantial reduction in conventional reactivity control means without notable fuel cycle length penalty. This is possible due to favourable characteristics of 241Am transmutation chain. The fuel cycle length penalty of introducing 241Am into the core is evaluated and discussed, as well as the impact of He production in the fuel pins and degradation of reactivity feedback coefficients. Proliferation resistance and reactivity control features related to the use of 241Am are compared to those of using 237Np, which has also been suggested as an additive to the conventional fuel in order to improve its proliferation resistance. It was found that 241Am admixture is more favourable than 237Np admixture because of the smaller fuel cycle length penalty and higher burnable poison savings.

Micro-architectured solids: From blast resistant structures to morphing wings

Classes of lattice material are reviewed, and their fracture response is explored in the context of the core of a sandwich panel. Attention is focussed on the strength of a sandwich plate with centre-cracked core made from an elastic-brittle square lattice. Predictions are summarised for the un-notched strength of the sandwiched core and for the fracture toughness of the lattice under remote tension, remote compression or remote shear. It is assumed that the lattice fails when the local stress in the cell walls attains the tensile or compressive strength of the solid, or when local buckling occurs. The local failure mechanism that dictates the unnotched strength may be different from that dictating the fracture toughness. Fracture mechanism maps are generated in order to reveal the dominant local failure mechanism for any given cell wall material.

Influence of film cooling hole angles and geometries on aerodynamic loss and net heat flux reduction

Turbine design engineers have to ensure that film cooling can provide sufficient protection to turbine blades from the hot mainstream gas, while keeping the losses low. Film cooling hole design parameters include inclination angle (a), compound angle (b), hole inlet geometry, and hole exit geometry. The influence of these parameters on aerodynamic loss and net heat flux reduction is investigated, with loss being the primary focus. Low-speed flat plate experiments have been conducted at momentum flux ratios of IR=0.16, 0.64, and 1.44. The film cooling aerodynamic mixing loss, generated by the mixing of mainstream and coolant, can be quantified using a three-dimensional analytical model that has been previously reported by the authors. The model suggests that for the same flow conditions, the aerodynamic mixing loss is the same for holes with different a and b but with the same angle between the mainstream and coolant flow directions (angle k). This relationship is assessed through experiments by testing two sets of cylindrical holes with different a and b: one set with k=35 deg, and another set with k=60 deg. The data confirm the stated relationship between α, β, k and the aerodynamic mixing loss. The results show that the designer should minimize k to obtain the lowest loss, but maximize b to achieve the best heat transfer performance. A suggestion on improving the loss model is also given. Five different hole geometries (α=35.0 deg, β=0 deg) were also tested: cylindrical hole, trenched hole, fan-shaped hole, D-Fan, and SD-Fan. The D-Fan and the SD-Fan have similar hole exits to the fan-shaped hole but their hole inlets are laterally expanded. The external mixing loss and the loss generated inside the hole are compared. It was found that the D-Fan and the SD-Fan have the lowest loss. This is attributed to their laterally expanded hole inlets, which lead to significant reduction in the loss generated inside the holes. As a result, the loss of these geometries is≈50% of the loss of the fan-shaped hole at IR=0.64 and 1.44. © 2013 by ASME.

A novel theoretical approach to passive control of thermo-acoustic oscillations: Application to ducted heat sources

In this paper, we develop a linear technique that predicts how the stability of a thermo-acoustic system changes due to the action of a generic passive feedback device or a generic change in the base state. From this, one can calculate the passive device or base state change that most stabilizes the system. This theoretical framework, based on adjoint equations, is applied to two types of Rijke tube. The first contains an electrically-heated hot wire and the second contains a diffusion flame. Both heat sources are assumed to be compact so that the acoustic and heat release models can be decoupled. We find that the most effective passive control device is an adiabatic mesh placed at the downstream end of the Rijke tube. We also investigate the effects of a second hot wire and a local variation of the cross-sectional area but find that both affect the frequency more than the growth rate. This application of adjoint sensitivity analysis opens up new possibilities for the passive control of thermo-acoustic oscillations. For example, the influence of base state changes can be combined with other constraints, such as that the total heat release rate remains constant, in order to show how an unstable thermo-acoustic system should be changed in order to make it stable. Copyright © 2013 by ASME.

Transient ventilation dynamics induced by heat sources of unequal strength

We examine theoretically the transient displacement flow and density stratification that develops within a ventilated box after two localized floor-level heat sources of unequal strengths are activated. The heat input is represented by two non-interacting turbulent axisymmetric plumes of constant buoyancy fluxes B1 and B2 > B1. The box connects to an unbounded quiescent external environment of uniform density via openings at the top and base. A theoretical model is developed to predict the time evolution of the dimensionless depths λj and mean buoyancies δj of the 'intermediate' (j = 1) and 'top' (j = 2) layers leading to steady state. The flow behaviour is classified in terms of a stratification parameter S, a dimensionless measure of the relative forcing strengths of the two buoyant layers that drive the flow. We find that dδ1/dτ α 1/λ1 and dδ2/dτ α 1/λ2, where τ is a dimensionless time. When S 1, the intermediate layer is shallow (small λ1), whereas the top layer is relatively deep (large λ2) and, in this limit, δ1 and δ2 evolve on two characteristically different time scales. This produces a time lag and gives rise to a 'thermal overshoot', during which δ1 exceeds its steady value and attains a maximum during the transients; a flow feature we refer to, in the context of a ventilated room, as 'localized overheating'. For a given source strength ratio ψ = B1/B2, we show that thermal overshoots are realized for dimensionless opening areas A < Aoh and are strongly dependent on the time history of the flow. We establish the region of {A, ψ} space where rapid development of δ1 results in δ1 > δ2, giving rise to a bulk overturning of the buoyant layers. Finally, some implications of these results, specifically to the ventilation of a room, are discussed. © Cambridge University Press 2013.