Investigation on the seismic response of nuclear power stations with a pile-raft foundation using centrifuge tests

Research to reliably predict the seismic response of nuclear power stations with a pile-raft foundation is needed to meet the high safety requirements of nuclear power stations.In this study,a scaled superstructure with a 4×3 pile-raft foundation,which is constructed in Shanxi kaolin clay,is modelled.Accordingly,the characteristics of seismic response for nuclear power stations with a pile-raft foundation are analyzed using dynamic centrifuge tests.In particular,multiple earthquake motions with different magnitudes and frequency properties are utilized to map the relationship between structural response and properties of earthquake motions.The results show that the seismic response of the soil,raft,and structure are significantly affected by the natural frequency and magnitude of the earthquake motion.The soil surface acceleration is lower than the raft acceleration.The results provide a reliable reference to better understand the seismic response of nuclear power stations.

Image Quality Improvement for Underwater Visual Inspections of Nuclear Power Plants

Visual inspection of the key components of nuclear power plants(NPPs)is important for NPP operation and maintenance. However,the underwater environment and existing radiation will lead to image degradation,thus making it difficult to identify surface defects. In this study,a method for improving the quality of underwater images is proposed.By analyzing the degradation characteristics of underwater detection image,the image enhancement technology is used to improve the color richness of the image,and then the improved dark channel prior(DCP)algorithm is used to restore it. By modifying the estimation formula of transmittance and background light,the correction of insufficient brightness in DCP restored image is realized. The proposed method is compared with other state-of-the-art methods. The results show that the proposed method can achieve higher scores and improve the image quality by correcting the color and restoring local details,thus effectively enhancing the reliability of visual inspection of NPPs.

A Series Dissertation on Tianwan Nuclear Power Station——Summary of Tianwan Nuclear Power Station Project

This is a summary in relation to the construction and operation of Tianwan Nuclear Power Station (the Project) at Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, the People’s Republic of China. The breakdown specialty topic shall been given in times to come. In this report, the author attempted to give some general description of the Project, including the Project site’s general layout and geographical conditions. A description of its exposure to the elements is also provided, supported by some data made available to us. The key component parts of the Project are described, namely, the nuclear island which includes the reactor, steam generator and so on; the conventional island and the balance of plant. Wherever possible, the improvements to the reactor design over the operating V320 are highlighted, which result in the V428 reactor model. The supplier and contractor for the major equipment such as the reactor and the turbine is the Russian company, namely Atomstroyexport (ASE). There are third country suppliers who provide other equipment. For instance, Siemens supplies the full digital I&C system and Framatome ANP supplies the emergency diesel generators; the metal-clad switchgear cabinet by ABB of Australia; the main steam isolation valve unit by CCI AG of Switzerland. All these foreign suppliers are well known globally. Their experience and quality of the equipment supplied by them are well recognized by the people in the respective fields. As for the civil work and erection work, the most experienced and trustworthy local contractors have been selected. These contractors have proven their competence in similar contract work before. For the testing of the equipment, stringent and proper procedures which meet international standards are adopted. Finally, the author wished on this report could provide the world a safety and advanced Nuclear Project building in China.

Effect of zinc injection on the corrosion products in nuclear fuel assembly

The accumulation of corrosive and radioactive wastes in the primary system, including nuclear fuel assembly, significantly increases workers’ exposure to radiation. Zinc injection from 5 to 40 ppb into the Reactor Coolant System (RCS) of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) has been known as an effective method to decrease the radiation fields and Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking (PWSCC). Zinc injection affects both corrosion product concentrations and characteristics of the deposited crud on oxide layers, because zinc is incorporated into the oxide films by displacing nickel, cobalt, and iron in primary systems. Radiation fields and corrosion might be mitigated as radioactive products, such as Co, which are removed by zinc injection. However, the zinc injection effects on fuel assembly in Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) have not been much reported yet, even though some lab tests were carried out in USA and France. In this paper, we studied effects of zinc injection on the fuel assemblies in the Ulchin 1 NPP. The chemical and radiation analysis of radioactive corrosion products was performed to evaluate zinc injection effects on the fuel assembly in the Ulchin 1 NPP. Gamma spectroscopy was used to analyze crud samples for radioisotope contents. The Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) was used to analyze crud samples for elemental contents. The concentration of radioisotope Co-58 was decreased after zinc injection to 1/22 times that before the zinc injection. 1% - 2% wt% of zinc was incorporated through the substitution of Ni in the crud oxide layer. The Ni/Fe ratio was decreased to 0.69 from 1.12 after the injection, due to the Ni substitution by zinc. It was found that NiO and NiFe2O4 were converted to ZnO and ZnFe2O4, respectively. In conclusion, zinc injecttion was found to be an essential method to reduce the amount of radioactive Co-58 in the fuel assemblies of primary systems in NPPs.

Unconfined compressive strength and failure behaviour of completely weathered granite from a fault zone

Understanding the strength characteristics and deformation behaviour of the tunnel surrounding rock in a fault zone is significant for tunnel stability evaluation.In this study,a series of unconfined compression tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical characteristics and failure behaviour of completely weathered granite(CWG)from a fault zone,considering with height-diameter(h/d)ratio,dry densities(ρd)and moisture contents(ω).Based on the experimental results,a regression mathematical model of unconfined compressive strength(UCS)for CWG was developed using the Multiple Nonlinear Regression method(MNLR).The research results indicated that the UCS of the specimen with a h/d ratio of 0.6 decreased with the increase ofω.When the h/d ratio increased to 1.0,the UCS increasedωwith up to 10.5%and then decreased.Increasingρd is conducive to the improvement of the UCS at anyω.The deformation and rupture process as well as final failure modes of the specimen are controlled by h/d ratio,ρd andω,and the h/d ratio is the dominant factor affecting the final failure mode,followed byωandρd.The specimens with different h/d ratio exhibited completely different fracture mode,i.e.,typical splitting failure(h/d=0.6)and shear failure(h/d=1.0).By comparing the experimental results,this regression model for predicting UCS is accurate and reliable,and the h/d ratio is the dominant factor affecting the UCS of CWG,followed byρd and thenω.These findings provide important references for maintenance of the tunnel crossing other fault fractured zones,especially at low confining pressure or unconfined condition.

Analysis on the Dynamical Process of Donghekou Rockslide-Debris Flow Triggered by 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake

Among the geo-hazards caused by the great Wenchuan Earthquake, the rapid and long runout rockslide-debris flow is of primary concern due to the large volume of displaced material and the resultant catastrophic impacts to the landscape and socioeconomic structure. In order to analyze the dynamical process of this kind of geo-hazard, the Donghekou rockslide-debris flow is given as an example in this paper. This event, which killed 780 people, initiated at an elevation of 1300 m with a total long run-out distance of more than 2400 m. The slide mass is mainly composed of dolomite limestone and siliceous limestone of Sinian system, together with carbon slate and phyllite of Cambrian. During the processes from slide initiation to the final cessation of slide movement, five dynamic stages took place, here identified as the initiation stage, the acceleration of movement stage, the air-blast effect stage, the impact and redirection stage and the long runout slidematerial accumulation stage. Field investigations indicate that due to the effects of the earthquake, the dynamics of the Donghekou rockslide-debris flow are apparently controlled by geologic and tectonic conditions, the local geomorphological aspects of the terrain, and the microstructural and macroscopic mechanical properties of rocks which compose the slide mass. These three main factors which dictate the Donghekou rockslide-debris flow dynamics are discussed in detail in this paper, and significant results of field investigations and tests of materials are presented. The above dynamical processes are analyzed in this paper, and some useful conclusions have been gained.

Mesh‑free semi‑quantitative variance underestimation elimination method in Monte Caro algorithm

The inter-cycle correlation of fission source distributions(FSDs)in the Monte Carlo power iteration process results in variance underestimation of tallied physical quantities,especially in large local tallies.This study provides a mesh-free semiquantitative variance underestimation elimination method to obtain a credible confidence interval for the tallied results.This method comprises two procedures:Estimation and Elimination.The FSD inter-cycle correlation length is estimated in the Estimation procedure using the Sliced Wasserstein distance algorithm.The batch method was then used in the elimination procedure.The FSD inter-cycle correlation length was proved to be the optimum batch length to eliminate the variance underestimation problem.We exemplified this method using the OECD sphere array model and 3D PWR BEAVRS model.The results showed that the average variance underestimation ratios of local tallies declined from 37 to 87%to within±5%in these models.

Petrogenesis of the concealed Daqiling intrusion in Guangxi and its tectonic significance: Constraints from geochemistry, zircon U-Pb dating and Nd-Hf isotopic compositions

The samples from the hidden Daqiling muscovite monzonite granite, which has recently been recognized within the Limu Sn-polymetallic ore field, have been analyzed for zircon U-Pb ages and whole rock geochemical and Nd-Hf isotopic compositions to discuss its genesis, source, and tectonic setting. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating indicates that the granite crystallized in the late Indosinian（224.8±1.6 Ma）. The granite is enriched in SiO2 and K2 O and low in CaO and Na2 O. It is strongly peraluminous with the A/CNK values of 1.09–1.20 and 1.4 vol%–2.7 vol% normal corundum. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns show slightly right-dipping shape with strongly negative Eu anomalies（δEu =0.08–0.17）. All samples show enrichment of LILEs（Cs, Rb and K） and HFSEs（U, Pb, Ce and Hf）, but have relatively low contents of Ba, Sr and Ti. The zircon saturation temperatures（Tzr） are from 711 to 740°C, which are slightly lower than the average value of typical S-type granite（764°C）. The granite has negative εNd（t） and εHf（t） values, which change from ？9.1 to ？10.1 with the peak values of ？9.2 to ？9.0 and from ？3.7 to ？12.6 with the peak values of ？6 to ？5, respectively. The C DMT（Nd） and C DMT（Hf） values are 1.74–1.82 Ga with the peak values of 1.73–1.75 Ga and 1.49–2.04 Ga with the peak values of 1.5–1.6 Ga, respectively. These characteristics reveal that the source region of the granite is dominantly late Paleoproterozoic to early Mesoproterozoic crustal materials. Seven inherited magmatic zircons are dated at the age of 248.6±4.3 Ma, which suggests the existence of the early Indosinian granite in Limu area. These zircons have the εHf（t） values of ？6.7– ？2.3, similar to those of the Daqiling granite, implying the involvement of the early Indosinian granite during the formation of the Daqiling granite. Inherited zircon of 945±11 Ma has the εHf（t） and TDM（Hf） values of 8.7 and 1.14 Ga, respectively, compatible with those of the Neoproterozoic arc magmatic rocks in the eastern Jiangnan orogenic belt. Therefore we inferred that Neoproterozoic arc magma might have been involved in the formation of the Daqiling granite, and that the Neoproterozoic arc magma belt and continent-arc collision belt between the Yangtze and Cathaysia Blocks might have extended westsouthward to Limu region. It is proposed that the underplating of mantle materials triggered by crustal extension and thinning resulted in partial melting of crustal materials to form the Daqiling granite in the late Indosinian under post-collisional tectonic setting.

SHRIMP zircon U-Pb ages and tectonic implications for Indosinian granitoids of southern Zhuguangshan granitic composite, South China

The large southern Zhuguangshan granitic batholith composite consists of granites with ages varying from the Caledonian through Indosinian to Yanshanian. Based on K-Ar dating data, the ages of the major parts of this composite were previously regarded as Yanshanian. In this study, the SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating method has been adopted for six plutons, Ledong, Longhuashan, Dawozi, Zhaidi, Baiyun and Jiangnan, in the southern Zhuguangshan composite, in which the four plutons other than Baiyun and Jiangnan were previously regarded as Yanshanian granites. Magmatic zircons from these six plutons, dated by this study, have yielded ages of 239±5 Ma (MSWD = 2.5), 239±5 Ma (MSWD = 2.5), 239±2 Ma (MSWD = 1.7), 239±4 Ma (MSWD = 3.2), 231±2 Ma (MSWD = 0.81) and 231±3 Ma (MSWD = 1.8), respectively. The results indicate that these plutons were formed by early Indosinian magmatism. Geochemical characteristics suggest that these granites were formed in an extensional tectonic environment. Therefore, the Indosinian period granites in the southern Zhuguangshan composite were formed by partial melting of the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic crustal components during the collapse of thickened lithosphere after the collision between the South China and Indosinian plates.

SURFACE TENSION EFFECTS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF TWO RISING BUBBLES

In the inviscid and incompressible fluid flow regime, surface tension effects on the behavior of two initially spherical bubbles with same size rising axisymmetrically in an infinite and initially stationary liquid are investigated numerically with the VOF method. The numerical experiments are performed for two bubbles with two different bubble distances. The ratio of gas density to liquid density is 0.001, which is close to the case of air bubbles rising in water. In the case of Dis = 2.5, where Dis is defined as the ratio of the distance between the bubble centroids to the radius of the bubble, it is found from numerical experiments that there exist four critical Weber numbers We1 , We2 , We3 and We4 , which are in between 10 and 100, 3 and 4, 1.5 and 1.8, and 0.2 and 0.3, respectively. In the case of Dis = 2.3, similar phenomena also appear but the corresponding four critical Weber numbers are lower than those in the case of Dis = 2.5. The mechanism of the above phenomena is analyzed theoretically and numerically.

Insight into microstructure evolution on anti-corrosion property of Al_(x)CoCrFeNiC_(0.01) high-entropy alloys using scanning vibration electrode technique

The effect of micro structure on the corrosion resistance of Al_(x)CoCrFeNiC_(0.01)(x=0.2,0.7,and 1.2)high-entropy alloys(HEAs) was systematically studied in this work.The microstructure evolution by regulating the Al content was analyzed in detail.Corrosion behavior was in situ monitored using the scanning vibration electrode technique,as well as some traditional electrochemical measurements.It is interesting to find that the compositions of body-centered cubic(bcc) and face-centered cubic(fcc)phases changed with the rising Al content,while the corresponding electrochemical responses for both phases were discriminated using the scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy method.Cr element was mainly distributed in the bcc phase for Al0.2(x=0.2) alloy,while its distribution changed to the fcc phase for the A10.7 and Al1.2alloys.The micro-galvanic corrosion cells formed between Cr-depleted and Cr-rich phases,resulting in the localized corrosion behaviors for the Al_(x)CoCrFeNiC_(0.01) HEAs,and the order for anti-corrosion property was Al0.2>Al1.2> Al0.7 HEAs.

Nonlinear Analyses of the Dynamic Properties of Hydrostatic Bearing Systems

Nonlinear analyses of hydrostatic bearing systems are necessary to adequately model the fluid-solid interaction. The dynamic properties of linear and nonlinear analytical models of hydrostatic bearings are compared in this paper. The analyses were based on the determination of the aperiodic border of transient processes with external step loads. The results show that the dynamic properties can be most effectively improved by increasing the hydrostatic bearing crosspiece width and additional pocket volume in a bearing can extend the load range for which the transient process is aperiodic, but an additional restrictor and capacitor (RC) chain must be introduced for increasing damping. The nonlinear analyses can also be used to predict typical design parameters for a hydrostatic bearing.

A Physically Based Dynamic Recrystallization Model Considering Orientation Effects for a Nitrogen Alloyed Ultralow Carbon Stainless Steel during Hot Forging

The nitrogen alloyed ultralow carbon stainless steel is a good candidate material for primary loop pipes of AP1000 nuclear power plant. These pipes arc manufactured by hot forging, during which dynamic recrystallization acts as the most important microstructural evolution mechanism. A physically based model was proposed to describe and predict the microstructural evolution in the hot forging process of those pipes. In this model, the coupled effects of dislocation density change, dynamic recovery, dynamic recrystallization and grain orientation function were con sidered. Besides, physically based simulation experiments were conducted on a Gleeble 3500 thermo-mcchanical sire ulator, and the specimens after deformation were observed by optical metallography （OM） and clectron back scat toted diffraction （EBSD） method. The results confirm that dynamic recrystallization is easy to occur with increasing deformation temperature or strain rate. The grains become much finer after full dynamic recrystallization. The model shows a good agreement with experimental results obtained by OM and EBSD in terms of stress strain curves, grain size, and recrystallization kinetics. Besides, this model obtains an acceptable accuracy and a wide applying scope for engineering calculation.