Lead-Bismuth and Lead as Coolants for Fast Reactors

Fast reactors used lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) and lead as coolants possess very high level of inherent self-protection and passive safety against severe accident. So, population radiophobia can be overcome. That type of reactors can be simultaneously more safely and more cheaply. As all other coolants, LBE and lead coolant (LC) possess the certain virtues and shortcomings. The presented report includes the comparative analysis of characteristic properties of those coolants, their impact on reactor safety, reliability and operating characteristics. The conclusion is made about promising usage of FRs with these coolants in future NP after the experience in operating of the prototypes of such reactors has been obtained.

Variants of Nuclear Power Plants of Small and Medium Power with Heavy Liquid-Metal Coolants

New design solutions have been proposed for a BRS-GPG type reactor circuit, which are different from transport and stationary low and medium-powered reactor installations cooled with heavy liquid-metal coolants, and which correspond to the evolutionary development of such installations. While developing these solutions, the available experience in creating and operating Soviet pilot and commercial power plants cooled with lead-bismuth coolants was used, including investigations, primarily experimental ones, carried out by team of authors in justification of a capacity range (50 - 250 MW) of low and medium-powered reactor plants with horizontal steam generators (BRS- GPG) proposed and elaborated at the NNSTU.

Nanoparticle-enhanced coolants in machining:mechanism,application,and prospects

Nanoparticle-enhanced coolants(NPECs)are increasingly used in minimum quantity lubrication(MQL)machining as a green lubricant to replace conventional cutting fluids to meet the urgent need for carbon emissions and achieve sustainable manufacturing.However,the thermophysical properties of NPEC during processing remain unclear,making it difficult to provide precise guidance and selection principles for industrial applications.Therefore,this paper reviews the action mechanism,processing properties,and future development directions of NPEC.First,the laws of influence of nano-enhanced phases and base fluids on the processing performance are revealed,and the dispersion stabilization mechanism of NPEC in the preparation process is elaborated.Then,the unique molecular structure and physical properties of NPECs are combined to elucidate their unique mechanisms of heat transfer,penetration,and antifriction effects.Furthermore,the effect of NPECs is investigated on the basis of their excellent lubricating and cooling properties by comprehensively and quantitatively evaluating the material removal characteristics during machining in turning,milling,and grinding applications.Results showed that turning of Ti‒6Al‒4V with multi-walled carbon nanotube NPECs with a volume fraction of 0.2%resulted in a 34%reduction in tool wear,an average decrease in cutting force of 28%,and a 7%decrease in surface roughness Ra,compared with the conventional flood process.Finally,research gaps and future directions for further applications of NPECs in the industry are presented.

Optimum Profiles of Endwall Contouring for Enhanced Net Heat Flux Reduction and Aerodynamic Performance

Successfully utilized non-axisymmetric endwalls to enhance turbine efficiencies(aerodynamic and turbine inlet temperatures)by controlling the characteristics of the secondary flow in a blade passage.This is accomplished by steady-state numerical hydrodynamics and deep knowledge of the field of flow.Because of the interaction between mainstream and purge flow contributing supplementary losses in the stage,non-axisymmetric endwalls are highly susceptible to the inception of purge flow exit compared to the flat and any advantage rapidly vanishes.The conclusions reveal that the supreme endwall pattern could yield a lowering of the gross pressure loss at the design stage and is related to the size of the top-loss location being productively lowered.This has led to diminished global thermal exchange lowered in the passage of the vane alone.The reverse flow adjacent to the suction side corner of the endwall is migrated farther from the vane surface,as the deviated pressure spread on the endwall accelerates the flow and progresses the reverse flow core still downstream.The depleted association between the tornado-like vortex and the corner vortex adjacent to the suction side corner of the endwall is the dominant mechanism of control in the contoured end wall.In this publication,we show that the non-axisymmetric endwall contouring by selective numerical shape change method at most prominent locations is advantageous in lowering the thermal load in turbines to augment the net heat flux reduction as well as the aerodynamic performance using multi-objective optimization.

Temperature Control of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Based on Linear Active Disturbance Rejection Control

The performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells is very sensitive to temperature. The electrochemical reaction results directly in temperature variations in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Ensuring effective temperature control is crucial to ensure fuel cell reliability and durability. This paper uses active disturbance rejection control in the thermal management system to maintain the operating temperature and the stack inlet and outlet temperature difference at the set value. First, key cooling system modules such as expansion tanks, coolant circulation pumps and radiators based on Simulink were built. Then, physical modeling and simulation of the fuel cell cooling system was carried out. In order to ensure the effectiveness of the control strategy and reduce the parameter tuning workload, an active disturbance rejection control parameter optimization method using an elite genetic algorithm was proposed. When the optimized control strategy responds to input disturbances, the maximum overshoot of the system is only 1.23% and can reach stability again in 30 s, so the fuel cell temperature can be controlled effectively. Simulation results show that the optimized control strategy can effectively control the stack temperature and coolant temperature difference under the influence of stepped charging current without interference or with interference, and has strong robustness and anti-interference capability.

Employing adaptive fuzzy computing for RCP intelligent control and fault diagnosis

Loss of coolant accident(LOCA),loss of fluid accident(LOFA),and loss of vacuum accident(LOVA)are the most severe accidents that can occur in nuclear power reactors(NPRs).These accidents occur when the reactor loses its cooling media,leading to uncontrolled chain reactions akin to a nuclear bomb.This article is focused on exploring methods to prevent such accidents and ensure that the reactor cooling system remains fully controlled.The reactor coolant pump(RCP)has a pivotal role in facilitating heat exchange between the primary cycle,which is connected to the reactor core,and the secondary cycle associated with the steam generator.Furthermore,the RCP is integral to preventing catastrophic events such as LOCA,LOFA,and LOVA accidents.In this study,we discuss the most critical aspects related to the RCP,specifically focusing on RCP control and RCP fault diagnosis.The AI-based adaptive fuzzy method is used to regulate the RCP’s speed and torque,whereas the neural fault diagnosis system(NFDS)is implemented for alarm signaling and fault diagnosis in nuclear reactors.To address the limitations of linguistic and statistical intelligence approaches,an integration of the statistical approach with fuzzy logic has been proposed.This integrated system leverages the strengths of both methods.Adaptive fuzzy control was applied to the VVER 1200 NPR-RCP induction motor,and the NFDS was implemented on the Kori-2 NPR-RCP.

Specific Properties of Air Flow Field Within the Grinding Zone

Air barrier of grinding means a boundary layer of air existing at the circumference of the rotating wheel,which hinders coolant from entry. This paper makes a research on air flow field of the grinding zone through experiments and numerical simulations,focusing on acquainting with the specific properties of the air flow field. Finite volume method is applied to analyze air flow field within grinding wheel in the course of numerical calculations. The test devices such as Hot-wire anemometer and Betz manometer are used during the experiments of testing the pressure and velocity within grinding zone. Results of experiments agree by and large with numerical results of calculations. The conclusions obtained in this paper,the distribution of wall pressure and the distribution of air flow velocity,are important and useful to navigate the delivery of coolant into the grinding zone. In conclusion,some recommendations are made for further study and practical applications in such field.

Application of the Modified nverse Design Method in the Optimization of the Runner Blade of a Mixed-Flow Pump

To improve the design speed and reduce the design cost for the previous blade design method, a modified inverse design method is presented. In the new method, after a series of physical and mathematical simplifications, a sail?like constrained area is proposed, which can be used to configure di erent runner blade shapes. Then, the new method is applied to redesign and optimize the runner blade of the scale core component of the 1400?MW canned nuclear coolant pump in an established multi?optimization system compromising the Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) analysis, the Response Surface Methodology(RSM) and the Non?dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm?II(NSGA?II). After the execution of the optimization procedure, three optimal samples were ultimately obtained. Then, through comparative analysis using the target runner blade, it was found that the maximum e ciency improvement reached 1.6%, while the head improvement was about 10%. Overall, a promising runner blade inverse design method which will benefit the hydraulic design of the mixed?flow pump has been proposed.

Verification of VVER-1200 NPP Simulator in Normal Operation and Reactor Coolant Pump Coast-Down Transient

Verification of operation parameters of VVER-1200 NPP Simulator installed at Nuclear Training Center, VINATOM has been performed. This simulator has been supplied for Vietnam in the framework of IAEA TC Project VIE2010 on Developing Nuclear Power Infrastructure—Phase II hosted by the Vietnam Atomic Energy Agency (VAEA). The comparison of the main parameters in nominal power operation with design data given in safety analysis report of VVER-1200/V392M as well as Ninh Thuan FSSAR is presented. In this study, the reactor coolant coast-down transient is investigated using the VVER-1200 NPP simulator. The simulated results performed in the simulator through switching off one reactor coolant pump in comparisons with experiment results performed in VVER-1000 reactor are given. The similarity between the measured and simulated results shows that the thermal hydraulic characteristics and the control protection systems are modeled in a reasonable way. A good agreement in operating parameters was found between the VVER-1200 NPP simulator and VVER-1200/V392M’s PSAR.

Radionuclides in primary coolant of a fluoride salt-cooled hightemperature reactor during normal operation

The release of fission products from coated particle fuel to primary coolant, as well as the activation of coolant and impurities, were analysed for a fluoride saltcooled high-temperature reactor(FHR) system, and the activity of radionuclides accumulated in the coolant during normal operation was calculated. The release rate(release fraction per unit time) of fission products was calculated with STACY code, which is modelled mainly based on the Fick's law, while the activation of coolant and impurities was calculated with SCALE code. The accumulation of radionuclides in the coolant has been calculated with a simplified model, which is generally a time integration considering the generation and decay of radionuclides. The results show that activation products are the dominant gamma source in the primary coolant system during normal operation of the FHR while fission products become the dominant source after shutdown. In operation condition,health-impacts related nuclides such as ~3H, and ^(14)C originate from the activation of lithium and coolant impurities including carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. According to the calculated effective cross sections of neutron activation,~6Li and ^(14)N are the dominant ~3H production source and ^(14)C production source, respectively. Considering the high production rate,~3H and ^(14)C should be treated before being released to the environment.

Influence of the Impeller/Guide Vane Clearance Ratio on the Performances of a Nuclear Reactor Coolant Pump

An AP1000 nuclear reactor coolant pump is considered to assess the influence of the Impeller/Guide vane clearance on the performances of this type of pumps.Experiments and numerical simulations relying on an unidirectional fluid-solid coupling approach are used to investigate the problem(stress,strain and mode of the rotor).The results reveal the relationship existing between the hydraulic performance of the nuclear reactor coolant pump and the clearance ratio.The effect of clearance ratio on the maximum equivalent stress on the back surface of the impeller blade is greater than that on the working surface(the maximum equivalent stress on the back surface of impeller blade is about three times that on the working surface).The clearance ratio has a scarce effect on the first six natural frequencies of the rotor of the nuclear reactor coolant pump.The related vibrational modes have different waveforms.

Effect of Cooling Conditions on Mechanical and Microstructural Behaviours of Friction Stir Processed AZ31B Mg Alloy

Friction stir processing (FSP) is an important microstructural alteration process used recently in the engineering field. Grains alteration and hence the mechanical properties of the possessed zone are controlled by the temperature, heating and cooling rate. In this work, AZ31B magnesium samples were friction stir processed in three different cooling conditions like air, water and cryogenic (liquid nitrogen) cooling. 1000 rpm and 60 mm/min were kept constant as tool rotation speed and traverse speed respectively in all the three mediums. The consequence of these conditions on thermal fields, axial force, resulting grain structure and mechanical properties?was?studied. It is found that the cryogenic treated friction stir processed samples exhibit fine grain structures and hence offer better mechanical properties than the air and water cooled processed samples.

Inhibition Effects of Pyrazine and Piperazine on the Corrosion of Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr Alloy in an Ethylene Glycol Solution

The corrosion and inhibition effect of magnesium-based rare-earth containing alloy Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr (GW103) was studied in an ethylene glycol (EG) solution mixed with organic inhibitors. The inhibition efficiencies of piperazine and pyrazine inhibitors on the corrosion of GW103 were compared by means of potentiodynamic polarization curve, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and weight loss measurements. It was found that the corrosion process of GW103 alloy in EG solution was hindered by these two inhibitors and the inhibition of pyrazine was more effective than that of piperazine. It was implied that pyrazine could be an effective inhibitor for GW103 in an ethylene glycol coolant solution.

Experimental Studies of Heat Transfer Characteristics and Properties of the Cross-Flow Pipe Flow Melt Lead

The process of heat transfer in a HLMC cross-flow around heat-transfer tubes is not yet thoroughly studied. Therefore, it is of great interest to carry out experimental studies for determining the heat transfer characteristics in a lead coolant cross-flow around tubes. It is also interesting to explore the velocity and temperature fields in a HLMC flow. To achieve this goal, experts of the NNSTU performed the work aimed at the experimental determination of the temperature and velocity fields in high-temperature lead coolant cross-flows around a tube bundle. The experimental studies were carried out in a specially designed high-temperature liquid-metal facility. The experimental facility is a combination of two high-temperature liquid-metal setups, i.e., FT-2 with a lead coolant and FT-1 with a lead-bismuth coolant, united by an experimental site. The experimental site is a model of the steam generator of the BREST-300 reactor facility. The heat-transfer surface is an in-line tube bank of a diameter of 17 × 3.5 mm, which is made of 10H9NSMFB ferritic-martensitic steel. The temperature of the heat-transfer surface is measured with thermocouples of a diameter of 1 mm being installed in the walls of heat-transfer tubes. The velocity and temperature fields in a high-temperature HLMC flow are measured with special sensors installed in the flow cross section between the rows of heat-transfer tubes. The characteristics of heat transfer and velocity fields in a lead coolant flow were studied in different directions of the coolant flow: The vertical (“top-down” and “bottom-up”) and the horizontal ones. The studies were conducted under the following operating conditions: The temperature of lead was t = 450°C - 5000°C, the thermodynamic activity of oxygen was a = 10-5 - 100, and the lead flow through the experimental site was Q = 3 - 6 m3/h, which corresponds to coolant velocities of V = 0.4 - 0.8 m/s. Comprehensive experimental studies of the characteristics of heat transfer in a lead coolant cross-flow around tubes have been carried out for the first time and the dependences for a controlled and regulated content of the thermodynamically active oxygen impurity and sediments of impurities have been obtained. The effect of the oxygen impurity content in the coolant and characteristics of protective oxide coatings on the temperature and velocity fields in a lead coolant flow is revealed. This is because the presence of oxygen in the coolant and oxide coatings on the surface, which restrict the liquid-metal flow, leads to a change in the characteristics of the wall-adjacent region. The obtained experimental data on the distribution of the velocity and temperature fields in a HLMC flow permit studying the heat-transfer processes and, on this basis, creating program codes for engineering calculations of HLMC flows around heat-transfer surfaces.

Effect of Potential Energy Stored in Reactor Facility Coolant on NPP Safety and Economic Parameters

Potential (non-nuclear) energy stored in reactor facility coolant is a crucial factor determining the NPP safety/hazard characteristics as it is inherent property of the material and cannot be changed. Enhancing safety of the NPP with traditional type reactor facilities, in which potential energy is stored in large quantities, requires buildup of the number of safety systems and in-depth defense barriers, which reduce the probability of severe accidents (but do not exclude the opportunity of their realization) and seriousness of their consequences. Keeping the risk of radioactivity release for different type reactor facilities at a same level of social acceptability, the number of safety systems and in-depth defense barriers, which determine essentially the NPP economical parameters, can be reduced with diminishing the potential energy stored in the reactor facility. To analyze the effect of potential energy on reactor facility safety/hazard, a diagram of reactor facility hazard has been proposed. It presents a probability of radioactivity release as a function of radioactivity release values for reactor facilities with identical radiation potential, which differ by values of potential energy stored in coolant. It is proposed to account NPP safety/hazard effect on economics by adding a certain interest on the electricity cost for making payments in a special insurance fund assigned to compensate the expenses for elimination of consequences of a possible accident.

Experimental study on vapor explosion caused by interaction between high temperature molten aluminum and water

In order to study the mechanism of steam explosion caused by the interactionbetween coolant and melted metal drops with high temperature,the process of explosion generated by water following interaction with molten metal drops is carried out.In the experiment,liquid aluminum and water with different ratios and different temperatures were evaluated,and the influence of different water temperatures on the steam explosion was studied.The corresponding rules of steam explosion at the different experimental conditions were derived.The difference between experiment resultants was analyzed.The experimental results show that when the ratios of liquid aluminum to water are within a certain range,explosions maybe happen,and the higher the temperature of water is,the less likely explosions will occur while other conditions remain the same.The research results would provide an insight into controlling steam explosion.

Casting process design and practice for coolant pump impeller in AP1000 nuclear power station

The coolant pump impeller casting is the only rotating component in the nuclear island of an AP1000 nuclear power station, and is required to have a 60-year service time, which requires advanced materials and processing technologies to guarantee. In this paper, the casting process was studied, designed and modified by means of numerical simulation. The gating system was distributed symmetrically and the runner diameter was a little bigger for avoiding sand wash and turbulence;the feeding system focused on the solution of blades feeding, as some parts of which should reach Severity Level 1 radioactive testing standard. Therefore, upper and lower plates cooperating with chillers acted as feeding method besides additional 2-3 times thickness;in addition, lowering sand core strength, decreasing pouring temperature and increasing dimension allowance would be adopted to avoid crack defects. Finally, the pilot impeller was cast. The results show that the casting process design is reasonable, as the liquid rises very smoothly when pouring, and no volume defects are found by means of 100% radioactive testing. Based on this casting process, 16 coolant pump impellers have been successfully produced and delivered to customers.

Effect of coolant inhibitors on AZ91D

The inhibition effects of sodium vanadate along with inorganic coolantinhibitors were examined on corrosion of AZ91D in ASTM D1384-80 corrosive water by polarizationmeasurements. The galvanic corrosion of AZ91D coupled to 3003, 6063, and 356 Al alloys were alsotested. An effective combination of inhibitors containing (but not limited to) sodium vanadate,silicate, and nitrate was proposed for inhibition of AZ91D and prevention of galvanic corrosion.

Thermal Behavior Study of Carbonate Inorganic Materials

The thermal decomposition processes of（MgCO3）4·Mg（OH）2·5H2O（MCH）,5ZnO·2CO3·4H2O（ZCH）,NiCO3·2Ni（OH）2·4H2O（NCH）,PbCO3（LC）and [Cr（OH）5]2·CO3·8H2O（CC）were studied via TG-DSC.The results of research imply that MCH has the largest capacity of heat absorption and ZCH is second to MCH among the studied materials.The non-isothermal kinetic parameters of MCH and ZCH were calculated by Kissinger and Ozawa methods.Furthermore,thermal decomposition mechanisms of MCH and ZCH were investigated by Coats-Redfern method.Due to the large specific heat capacity,MCH and ZCH are promising to be used as a coolant in extinguishant formulations.

Influence of Coolant on Cutting Tool Performance

This paper reports a Study carried out to substantiate or refute the belief that when coolant is applied, the cutting performance is actually improved. Experiments on cutting forces and chip geometry were conducted in which AISI 1050 Steel was machined by turning using P30 uncoated tungsten carbide tools. Experiments were performed on a CNC Okuma LH35-N lathe undermachining conditions commonly used in workshops in Singapore and many other parts of the world.