Validation of the DALTON-THERMIX Code System with Transient Analyses of the HTR-10 and Application to the PBMR

Boer, B.; Lathouwers, D.; Kloosterman, J.L.; Hagen, T.H.J.J. van der; Strydom, Gerhard

doi:10.13182/nt10-a9485

Cited by 28 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The TUDelft model is based on the coupling between two inhouse developed codes. Specifically, the DALTON code (see e.g., Boer et al (2010)) is used for neutron transport and precursor diffusion and convection. This code has also the capability for adjoint eigenvalue calculations.…”

Section: Discretization and Numerical Solutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A detailed neutronic assessment of the Polimi model can be found in Fiorina et al (2012) and, where it has been proved able to predict with good accuracy the MSFR neutronic features, for different fuel compositions. The TUDelft code used for neutronics has been extensively benchmarked earlier, for example for PBMR studies (Boer et al, 2010) and for other molten salt related investigations (Kophazi et al, 2009).…”

Section: Preliminary Neutronic Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Modelling and analysis of the MSFR transient behaviour

Fiorina

Lathouwers

Aufiero

et al. 2014

Annals of Nuclear Energy

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Section: Discretization and Numerical Solutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Preliminary Neutronic Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling and analysis of the MSFR transient behaviour

Fiorina

Lathouwers

Aufiero

et al. 2014

Annals of Nuclear Energy

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“…To perform the analysis of the transient behaviour of the thorium PBR, a coupled code scheme involving the SCALE6 code package (ORNL, 2009) for cross section generation, the DALTON neutron diffusion solver (Boer et al, 2010b) and the THERMIX thermal hydraulics code (Struth, 1995) for Pebble Bed Reactors, is used. The conversion ratio calculation scheme of the thorium PBR core configurations is discussed in Section 2.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conceptual design of a passively safe thorium breeder Pebble Bed Reactor

Wols

2015

Annals of Nuclear Energy

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More sustainable nuclear power generation might be achieved by combining the passive safety and high temperature applications of the Pebble Bed Reactor (PBR) design with the resource availability and favourable waste characteristics of the thorium fuel cycle. It has already been known that breeding can be achieved with the thorium fuel cycle inside a Pebble Bed Reactor if reprocessing is performed. This is also demonstrated in this work for a cylindrical core with a central driver zone, with 3 g heavy metal pebbles for enhanced fission, surrounded by a breeder zone containing 30 g thorium pebbles, for enhanced conversion. The main question of the present work is whether it is also possible to combine passive safety and breeding, within a practical operating regime, inside a thorium Pebble Bed Reactor. Therefore, the influence of several fuel design, core design and operational parameters upon the conversion ratio and passive safety is evaluated. A Depressurized Loss of Forced Cooling (DLOFC) is considered the worst safety scenario that can occur within a PBR. So, the response to a DLOFC with and without scram is evaluated for several breeder PBR designs using a coupled DALTON/THERMIX code scheme. With scram it is purely a heat transfer problem (THERMIX) demonstrating the decay heat removal capability of the design. In case control rods cannot be inserted, the temperature feedback of the core should also be able to counterbalance the reactivity insertion by the decaying xenon without fuel temperatures exceeding 1600°C. Results show that high conversion ratios (CR > 0.96) and passive safety can be combined in a thorium PBR within a practical operating regime, which means a thermal power of 100 MW or higher, 1000 days total residence time of the breeder pebbles and fuel pebble handling times longer than 14.5 s, like in the HTR-PM. With an increased U-233 content of the fresh driver pebbles (18 w%), breeding (CR = 1.0135) can already be achieved for a 220 cm core and 80 cm driver zone radius. While the decay heat removal is sufficient in this design, the temperature feedback of the undermoderated driver pebbles is too weak to compensate the reactivity insertion due to the xenon decay during a DLOFC without scram. With a lower U-233 content per driver pebble (10 w%) it was found possible to combine breeding (CR = 1.0036) and passive safety for a 300 cm core and 100 cm driver zone radius, but this does require more than a doubling of the pebble handling speed and a high reprocessing rate of the fuel pebbles. The maximum fuel temperature during a DLOFC without scram was simulated to be 1481°C for this design, still quite a bit below the TRISO failure temperature. The maximum reactivity insertion due to an ingress of water vapour is also limited with a value of +1497 pcm.

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“…Since the graphite temperature is one of the main drivers that determine the bulk oxidation rate, the temperature vs. volume distribution is an important factor in core simulation studies. As a second example, the spatial variance in the core region graphite temperatures is further illustrated in Figure 26 by the temperature distribution at 100 h into the PBMR-400 DLOFC event 73 . This temperature profile clearly shows the upward movement of the peak fuel temperature, which is now located in a small region at an axial height of 400 cm.…”

Section: Heat Source Distribution: Graphite and Gas Temperaturesmentioning

confidence: 99%