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At least 19 records

Improved multiphysics model of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor for the simulation of loss-of-forced-cooling experiments

We present a multiphysics model of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor for comparison with past and predict future loss-of-forced-cooling (LOFC) experiments. The approach selected combines (1) 3-D full-core superhomogenization-corrected neutronics, (2) 3-D full-core homogenized or semi-heterogeneous heat transfer (macroscale), (3) 2-D axisymmetric fuel rod heat transfer (mesoscale), and (4) 1-D thermal-hydraulics channels. Although large sensitivities remain and the available experimental data are insufficient for use in a rigorous validation exercise, the overall transient behavior is successfully reproduced. The novelty of our work includes (1) a new macroscale-mesoscale heat transfer coupling approach relying on gap conductance to drastically speed up numerical convergence by two orders of magnitude, (2) determination of a radial effective thermal conductivity that yields reasonably close results between the homogenized and semi-heterogeneous macroscale thermal models, and (3) a preliminary study of the reactor's early behavior following a LOFC event, thus enabling further assessment of numerical models against fission power measurements.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Multiphysics Analyses of the Protected and Unprotected Loss of Forced Cooling Accidents in the HTR-PM

Here, we present the multiphysics simulation results for the protected pressurized and depressurized loss of forced cooling (PLOFC and DLOFC) events in the High-Temperature gas-cooled Reactor--Pebble-bed Module (HTR-PM) equilibrium core using the Griffin-Pronghorn coupled code system. Additionally, this paper discusses the strategy for estimating the spontaneous fission neutron source needed for unprotected events and re-criticality calculations. The solutions of the protected PLOFC and DLOFC events were verified against similar solutions obtained for temperature evolutions from the open literature. Both the average and maximum pebble surface temperatures behaved as expected during the DLOFC and remained below 1800 K. The PLOFC results are highly dependent on the ability to resolve the natural circulation in the core, which is impacted by the mesh resolution in Pronghorn. Furthermore, we present the results of the unprotected DLOFC transient to predict the timing of the re-criticality event, which occurred 47 hours after the onset of the transient, and the new steady-state power of 1.3 MW.

42 - ENGINEERING↗

Development of a Pronghorn Model of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor: Preliminary Results from Loss of Forced Cooling #3 [Slides]

This presentation contains results from a Pronghorn model of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) operated by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. The model was used to simulate a loss of forced cooling (LOFC) experiment. This presentation contains preliminary results from a standalone thermal hydraulics model of this LOFC test and some discussion of the results compared to data

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗

Fluoride-Cooled High-Temperature Pebble-Bed Reactor Reference Plant Model Updates

This work presents the latest improvements to, and investigations performed with, the Fluoride-Cooled High-Temperature Pebble-Bed Reactor reference plant models for the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. These models, developed with the Comprehensive Reactor Analysis Bundle, or BlueCRAB, serve as the foundation for the future development of detailed design evaluation models based on license applications. BlueCRAB is the code suite proposed for non-light-water reactor systems safety analyses, and it incorporates various simulation tools developed by the Nuclear Energy Advance Modeling and Simulation program, including the Griffin code for reactor physics, the Pronghorn and SAM codes for core thermal fluids, the BISON code for solid conduction and fuel performance, and the SAM code for system analysis. The primary objective of this work is to assess the level of readiness of BlueCRAB for modeling fluoride-cooled high-temperature pebble-bed reactors. We first developed numerical models in BlueCRAB that include the key physics for this technology, ensuring an adequate level of fidelity for modeling the core performance during accident scenarios. This was followed by simulation of transient scenarios, two loss-of-forced-cooling events (one protected and one unprotected), and two control rod withdrawal events (one delayed and one prompt supercritical reactivity insertion). The analysis includes comparisons between the 2-D thermal fluid porous media models in Pronghorn and SAM, comparisons between coupled Pronghorn-Griffin and coupled SAM-Griffin models for two loss-of-forced cooling events and one control rod withdrawal event, and comparisons between SAM single-solve and domain-overlapping approaches for multi-scale thermal fluid coupling. In addition, we performed comparisons between 3-D, 2-D, and 0-D neutronic models for the two control rod withdrawal scenarios with Pronghorn-Griffin. The results show that the BlueCRAB models led to physically intuitive solutions for the scenarios examined. The changes in the various scalar and vector fields such as the neutron flux, power, temperatures, densities, pressures, and velocities are all within the expected ranges, and their distributions can be explained from the system response of the transients and the geometric and material variations. Several comparisons suggest that the porous media models in Pronghorn and SAM can lead to similar solutions, even though they are based on different methodologies. The simulations demonstrate that there are differences between the various levels of fidelity, and it is advisable to have flexible tools that can cover the breadth and depth of needs that may arise in future technical evaluations. We believe that BlueCRAB’s capabilities represent a significant asset for confirmatory analyses aimed at resolving important safety questions.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

FY21 Status report on the CMVB and CNWG International Collaborations

The ART-GCR Methods area includes an international collaboration work package that covers the tasks defined for the Computational Methods Validation and Benchmark (CMVB)and Civil Nuclear Energy Research and Development Working Group (CNWG) projects. This report summarizes the status of the FY21 tasks and planned FY22 DOE contributions. The CMVB Project Arrangement (PA) is not yet formally approved by all signatories, and no work has therefore been performed in FY21 at INL related to this activity. The CNWG activities inFY21 consisted of the simulation of the High Temperature Test Reactor (HTTR) Loss Of Forced Cooling (LOFC) experimental with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) codes Griffin, BISON and RELAP-7 based on the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE).It was found that the multiphysics coupled suite is capable of simulating all the important phenomena occurring during the Depressurized Loss of Forced Cooling (DLOFC) experiments showing promising agreement with the measurements given the number of uncertainties and approximations introduced into the model.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Gas-Cooled High-Temperature Pebble-Bed Reactor Reference Plant Model Updates

This work presents the latest improvements to, and investigations performed with, the pebble-bed high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (PB-HTGR) reference plant models for the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. These models serve as the foundation for the future development of detailed design evaluation models based on license applications. The reference plant models have been developed with the Comprehensive Reactor Analysis Bundle, or BlueCRAB, which is the code suite proposed for non-light-water reactor systems safety analysis. It incorporates various simulation tools developed by the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation program, including the Griffin code for reactor physics, the Pronghorn and SAM codes for core thermal fluids, the BISON code for solid conduction and fuel performance, and the SAM code for system analysis. The primary objective of the work that was performed was to assess BlueCRAB’s level of readiness for modeling a PB-HTGR. To do so, we first developed numerical models in BlueCRAB that include the key physics for this technology to ensure an adequate level of fidelity for modeling PB-HTGR core performance and for performing multiphysics simulations for equilibrium core conditions and different accident scenarios. Then we simulated transient scenarios, including depressurized and pressurized loss of forced cooling accidents, over-cooling, and control rod withdrawal events with delayed and prompt supercritical reactivity insertions. The analysis in this report includes comparisons of the 2D thermal fluid porous media models in Pronghorn and SAM, and comparisons of coupled SAM/Griffin/SAM and coupled Pronghorn/Griffin for depressurized and pressurized loss of forced cooling, over-cooling, and control rod withdrawal events. In addition, we compare 3D, 2D, and 0D/PKE neutronic models for the two control rod withdrawal scenarios with coupled Pronghorn/Griffin. The comparisons show that the BlueCRAB models lead to physically intuitive solutions for the scenarios examined. The changes in the various scalar and vector fields, such as neutron flux, power, temperature, density, pressure, and velocity, are within the expected ranges, and their distributions can be explained by the system response of the transients and the geometric and material variations. Several comparisons suggest that the porous media models in Pronghorn and SAM can lead to similar solutions, even though they are based on different methodologies. This work further highlights the need for flexible tools with various levels of fidelity to cover the breadth and depth of needs that may arise in future technical evaluations of the PB-HTGR. We believe that the BlueCRAB capabilities will be a significant asset for confirmatory analyses in order to resolve important safety questions.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Dielectric Fluids for the Direct Forced Convection Cooling of Power Electronics

The future of electrification of vehicles and other systems will require the creation of high-power density power electronics with low junction-to-fluid thermal resistance cooling solutions. One way to create this solution is to move high-heat-flux liquid cooling (single- or two-phase) as close to the power electronics components as possible. One novel approach involves submersion in dielectric fluids as the cooling solution. We first provide the range of fluid properties and develop a figure of merit (FOM) to aid in dielectric fluid selection. Next, we perform computational fluid dynamics/heat transfer (CFD/HT) modeling using single-phase cooling (submerged jet impingement on an enhanced surface) to validate the dielectric fluid FOM. Results of the study show that the developed FOM is a good representation of the performance of the fluids when compared to the results of the CFD/HT analysis. Both FOM and the CFD/HT analysis show that based on pure thermohydraulic considerations, several commercially available fluids present higher performance, on the order of 5% of water. Finally, the FOM can be used to quickly assess the thermohydraulic performance of a dielectric fluid, as well as the secondary application-specific properties such as boiling point, saturation pressure, flash point, and global warming potential, thereby allowing for fluid candidates to be readily compared.

computational fluid dynamics↗

Sensitivity Analysis, Reduced-order Modeling, and Optimization of a Gas-Cooled Pebble Bed Reactor using Equilibrium-Core and DLOFC Performance

This work presents and applies a workflow for performing design optimization on gas-cooled pebble-bed reactors. Based on previous research, a representative equilibrium core of a pebble-bed reactor and a depressurized loss-of-forced-cooling model are created. These applications are built using the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE), specifically utilizing Griffin, Pronghorn, and Bison. After defining design-related parameters and quantities of interest regarding reactor safety and efficiency, this multiphysics model is sampled using the MOOSE stochastic tools module. The result is a comprehensive dataset of configurations, enabling sensitivity analysis and the generation of reduced-order models. Subsequently, the dataset and reduced-order models are employed in an optimization study aimed at maximizing fuel utilization while adhering to safety and operational constraints. The optimization process leads to an improvement of fuel utilization by approximately 10\%, compared to engineering-judgment-based nominal conditions.

97 - MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Sensitivity analysis, surrogate modeling, and optimization of pebble-bed reactors considering normal and accident conditions

This research provides a valuable tool that streamlines the optimization process while significantly increasing its accuracy. This study creates a robust framework for reactor design optimization by incorporating comprehensive modeling using the Comprehensive Reactor Analysis Bundle, or BlueCRAB, within the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE). BlueCRAB is the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission's code suite for non-light water reactor analysis and includes the Griffin, Pronghorn, and Bison applications. This not only improves the efficiency of the optimization process but also enhances the reliability of the results. Such a tool is essential for advancing the state-of-the-art in pebble-bed reactor technology and is critical for achieving the goals of Generation IV reactors, which aim for safe, sustainable, and economically viable nuclear energy solutions. This work presents and applies this workflow on pebble-bed reactors while considering both normal and off-normal conditions. A representative gas-cooled pebble-bed reactor at equilibrium core conditions serves as the nominal design specification for normal operation and is based on previous research. The depressurized loss-of-forced-cooling accident is deployed for off-normal conditions in this work. After defining design-related parameters and quantities of interest regarding reactor safety and performance, this multiphysics model is sampled using the MOOSE stochastic tools module. The result is a comprehensive dataset of configurations, enabling sensitivity analysis and the generation of surrogate models. Subsequently, the dataset and surrogate models are employed in two optimization studies aimed at maximizing fuel utilization and economic profit while adhering to safety and operational constraints. Performing the optimization process with fuel utilization as the metric leads to an improvement of approximately 10%, compared to engineering-judgment-based nominal conditions. The optimization on economic profit leads to an estimated increase of ~300 million USD over the lifetime of the reactor.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Progress in Fast Modular Reactor Conceptual Design

The Fast Modular Reactor (FMR) is a 100-MW(thermal) gas-cooled fast reactor being developed by General Atomics Electromagnetic System with the goal of developing a FMR for flexible and dispatchable power to the U.S. electricity market in the mid-2030s. The conceptual design aims to develop and verify simplified design features. These include an inert helium gas coolant, pellet-loaded fuel rods, installations with air cooling as ultimate heat sink, and small and passive heat removal systems. The goal is to ensure the development of a safe, maintainable, cost-effective, and distributed nuclear energy-generating station. The baseline technologies selected to achieve this goal are a helium coolant that is an inert gas with no chemical reaction with structural components, not activated, single phase, enabling high-temperature operation and a high thermal efficiency Brayton cycle; conventional uranium dioxide (UO 2 ) fuel, which is the most widely used and well-known fuel material, capable of high burnup (100 MWd/kg) and a long fuel life; and silicon carbide composite (SiGA®) cladding and internal structures that are chemically inert in the helium environment, exceptionally radiation tolerant, and being derisked by accident tolerant fuel technology development. Further, the reactor was specifically designed with passive safety features, including high-temperature in-core materials and a reactor vessel cooling system consisting of cooling panels of naturally circulating water. The passive safety of the core was confirmed for the depressurized loss-of–forced cooling accident, which showed the peak cladding temperature at ~1600°C during the transient, which is below the current design limit of 1800°C. The conceptual design of the FMR has been conducted for the reactor system, vessel system, generator and turbomachine, instrumentation and control, residual heat removal system, plant service system, and containment, as well as pre-application licensing documents.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

NEA HTTR LOFC Project Test#2 Benchmark Results

The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) is a 30 MW prismatic high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) owned and operated by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). Staring in 2010, HTTR was used in a series of three loss of forced cooling (LOFC) tests without SCRAM to demonstrate the inherent safety of HTGRs.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

FY22 Status Report on the ART-GCR CMVB and CNWG International Collaborations

This work presents the numerical model for the high temperature test reactor (HTTR) loss of forced cooling (LOFC) experiment with the INL codes Griffin, BISON, and RELAP-7, based on the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) framework. Promising results were obtained, with the overall behavior of the reactor successfully captured. Changes in the heat transfer coupling, as compared to the fiscal year (FY)-21 model, enabled drastic improvement of the steady-state solution, both in terms of computational time and global energy discrepancies. The former was reduced by a factor of roughly 60, whereas the latter decreased from 11% to less than 2%. Furthermore, the discrepancy in the steady-state multiplication factor was improved from +2,300 and +2,900 pcm (for the 30 and 9 MW cases) to -700 and +1,200 pcm, respectively, and now falls well within the large measurement uncertainties stemming from graphite impurities. Validation of the Monte Carlo model used to generate cross sections was also performed against available measurements. Though significant, the discrepancies remain acceptable overall in light of the large uncertainty. Numerous improvements are still needed to better compare with the experiment involving the 9 MW case and to instill greater confidence in the model’s ability to accurately predict the 30 MW behavior. Specifically, the power levels predicted by the 9 MW transient simulation following re-criticality remain low, pointing to an underestimation of the passive cooling of the core. A key aspect of future work will be to better understand the flow pattern during the LOFC event, particularly to determine if natural or forced convection is occurring inside the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). More generally, additional validation data would be immensely useful for further enhancing the numerical model and better matching the experiments. In addition, a more sophisticated thermal-hydraulics model that simulates all the channels as a single system model should be considered to take into account the rest of the primary loop. Finally, even if the results are in better agreement with the experiments, sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification will be necessary to evaluate the model uncertainty.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Progress Towards the Validation of a new RELAP5-3D model of the High Temperature Test Facility

Validation is a key step in the development of any type of systems model. As the next generation of reactors approaches, the need for codes that have been validated for these new types of systems continues to grow. An example of a prominent option is the Reactor Excursion Leak Analysis Program (RELAP5-3D), developed by Idaho National Laboratory. This code was developed for the purpose of systems level thermal-hydraulic modeling of light water reactors (LWRS) and postulated transients that can occur in LWRS.RELAP5-3D has been substantially validated against LWR data. Due to its long history as a reactor safety analysis tool, there has been an effort to adapt RELAP5-3D for the purposes of advanced reactor concepts such as prismatic high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs). However, RELAP5-3D has not nearly been validated and verified for HTGRs to the degree of LWRs, warranting verification and validation opportunities with computational benchmarks and existing experimental facilities. Examples of such facilities include the modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (MHTGR) 350 and the high temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR) from Japan. The MHTGR 350 is a benchmark design concept for code-to-code verification purposes; therefore, it does not provide any experimental data for validation opportunities The HTTR provides useful multiphysics validation data but does not have the in-core instruments to generate thermal-hydraulic experimental data to help with RELAP5-3D validation. Consequently, a facility that could provide key in-core temperatures for thermal-hydraulic validation was still needed. The High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF) is an integral effects facility for HTGR thermal hydraulics developed and operated by Oregon State University. HTTF represents ¼ length scale of the General Atomics MHTGR and is rated for a total power of 2.2 MW. Axially, the core consists of an upper and lower reflector and 10 blocks, numbered from bottom to top (Block 1 is right above lower reflector). The core is heated via graphite resistive heater rods, with respective channels distributed throughout the core. The primary coolant is helium and heat can radiate out of the core to the reactor cavity cooling system (RCCS), which is cooled by water. The primary purpose of the facility is to investigate pressurized conduction cooldown (PCC) and depressurized conduction cooldown (DCC) transients, which are also referred to as the pressurized and depressurized loss of forced cooling respectively. Two experiments were chosen to perform the validation study with a RELAP5-3D model of HTTF. These experiments are PG-27 (PCC) and PG-29 (DCC). These were chosen based off of the quality of available experimental data before and during the experiment which led to their inclusion in the HTGR Thermal Hydraulics Benchmark.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

A review on the state of thermal hydraulics research on air ingress scenarios in High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors following a D-LOFC

With the expectation of near-immediate carbon neutrality, widespread implementation of proven High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) embodies a viable solution pathway given their inherent, passive safety features and high thermal efficiency. This study provides an overview of the current state of research involving the thermal hydraulics associated with air ingress from a depressurized loss of forced cooling (D-LOFC) in HTGRs. Accurately characterizing and predicting the physical phenomena underlying air ingress is of paramount concern, as the integrity of the fuel and core graphite support structures are threatened by the presence of oxygen. Broadly speaking, the air ingress scenario can be delineated into three main stages: (1) Depressurization, (2) Density-Driven Flow, and (3) Natural Convection. In tandem with the underlying fundamental theory, this review collates and synthesizes the existing body of contemporary research concerning the air ingress scenario following a D-LOFC. As evinced by this review, our current understanding and predictive abilities have benefited from extensive research, predominantly concentrated on the rate of air ingestion into the core. Here, additional research is necessary to holistically capture the phenomenology of an air ingress scenario following a D-LOFC by considering an additional variable: the oxygen content of the ingressing air. The latter variable requires investigation into the complex interactions of the fully integrated system. Additionally, while numerical tools are evolving domestically through the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation program, a sufficiently validated code remains absent.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Thermal Hydraulics Validation Activities in the ART-GCR Campaign

The Advanced Reactor Technologies - Gas Cooled Reactor Campaign (ART-GCR) is part of the United States Department of Energy - Office of Nuclear Energy's Advanced Reactor Technologies program aimed at developing a High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) which will offer enhancements in safety and efficiency. The Design, Methods, and Validation arm of the ART-GCR program provides experience and advanced tools for HTGR design and analysis. The Methods and Validation arm is developing data to validate predictions of decay heat removal through an extensive experimental campaign the Natural Convection Shutdown Heat Removal Test Facility at Argonne National Laboratory. In-core thermal hydraulics validation is being facilitated through the OECD/NEA's Thermal Hydraulic Code Validation Benchmark for High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors using HTTF Data. That benchmark contains code-to-code and code-to-data comparisons for 3 sets of HTGR thermal hydraulics phenomena. This ongoing benchmark activity has 16 participants from 9 countries developing leading insights into HTGR thermal hydraulics code validation. The ART-GCR campaign is also working on the development of state-of-the-art MOOSE-based models of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR). Through the OECD/NEA's HTTR Loss of Forced Cooling (LOFC) program, the ART-GCR campaign is developing a multiphysics transient code validation benchmark based on 3 HTTR experiments that will provide an opportunity for international collaboration on multiphysics code validation.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Prediction of Thermal Conditions of DED With FEA Metal Additive Simulation

This paper presents the integration of wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) using Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) into a machine tool to create a retrofit hybrid computer numeric control (CNC) machine tool. GMAW, along with other direct energy deposition systems, has the capacity to deposit material faster than the excess thermal energy can dissipate. This results in the need to allow the part to cool between consecutive layers, which is the most time-consuming part of the additive process. Finite element analysis (FEA) was used in conjunction with monitored build plate surface temperatures during deposition samples to improve adequate dwell time prediction and to develop a cooling system. A deposition was completed where no dwell time was used and the build plate along with the machine table temperatures were monitored. A second deposition was completed where only one bead was deposited and the traverse speed was increased. The GMAW welder was mounted on a 3-axis CNC machine where two square deposition samples were completed. A FEA model was designed and verified using the monitored samples. The model will be used to determine improved depositions speeds and whether forced cooling would allow for an increased deposition rate without structural failure. It was determined the FEA software can be used to accurately model and predict the thermal response of WAAM AM components.

Heinrich, Lauren↗

Transformational challenge reactor design characteristics

The Transformational Challenge Reactor (TCR) program was conceived with the goal to reduce costs and time frames associated with advanced reactor deployment by leveraging developments in advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, data science, and rapid prototyping and testing. The final deliverable of the TCR program was to be an operational test of a novel reactor design. The TCR core design incorporates a dense tri-structural-isotropic/SiC fuel form and volumetrically efficient yttrium hydride moderator, both of which were manufactured and characterized under the TCR program. The TCR is a 3 MW{sub th} He-cooled experimental nuclear reactor designed to reach a total integrated burnup of less than 24 effective full-power hours to keep the radioactive source term to a very low level. TCR design process revealed a positive moderator coefficient; however, the negative doppler coefficients for the fuel and thermal expansion of fuel, moderator, and core support plate yield an overall negative reactivity coefficient. Calculated fuel element temperatures and stresses are well within safety margins. The maximum hypothetical accident (i.e., de-pressurized loss of forced cooling) yields only a modest increase in reactor temperatures that are all within safety margins. This paper summarizes the high-level TCR design characteristics, which were derived from neutronics, thermohydraulics, thermomechanics, and safety analyses.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗