钠冷快堆燃料元件性能分析程序的开发与验证

Development and Verification of Performance Analysis Code for Fuel Element of Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor

  • 摘要: 为了评估钠冷快堆氧化物燃料元件稳态、瞬态和事故条件下的性能和行为演化,开发了钠冷快堆燃料元件性能分析程序FIBER。程序采用有限体积法实现燃料元件温度的计算,用有限元方法实现力学、裂变气体释放的计算,并通过时间步长控制模块控制程序的稳定运行。为验证程序的准确性,通过调研得到俄罗斯BN600反应堆辐照数据,与FIBER程序的裂变气体释放、柱状晶粒等计算结果进行对比分析。结果表明,FIBER程序对最大燃耗11.8at%、最大辐照损伤78 dpa的快堆燃料元件的辐照变形、柱状晶区、裂变气体释放性能评价是有效的。

     

    Abstract: For many years, sodium-cooled fast reactors have occupied the most important part of the closed fuel cycle. In order to improve the economy of sodium-cooled fast reactors, the nuclear industry around the world is actively increasing fuel burnup as much as possible. The behavior simulation of fuel elements under high fuel burnup is a key issue in the design and reliability of fuel elements. In this case, it is necessary to develop computer code that can accurately analyze fuel behavior to evaluate the behavior and reliability of high-fuel fuels, and as a safety analysis tool to evaluate the performance and behavioral evolution of fuel elements under steady-state, transient and accident conditions. For the above reasons, the Chinese Institute of Atomic Energy has developed FIBER, a performance analysis code for fuel elements of sodium-cooled fast reactor. The code consists of two main parts:The first part is used to analyze the temperature distribution, the thermal deformation and fission gas release; The other part is used to analyze the mechanical behavior of fuel elements. In the thermal analysis part, the axisymmetric finite volume method is applied to the entire length of the fuel element. The code has the ability to calculate thermal conductivity, gap heat transfer, coolant heat transfer, fission gas release, fuel restructure, solid fission product migration, and plenum pressure. In the mechanical analysis part, the axisymmetric finite element method is applied to the entire length of the fuel elements. The code can simulate the phenomena of thermal expansion, densification, irradiation swelling, pellet cracking, elasticity, plasticity, creep, and PCMI. The thermal analysis part and the mechanical analysis part are coupled, and the convergence of temperature and deformation is obtained in each time step through iteration. FIBER code consists of many theoretical models, empirical models, and parameters that control the calculation process. However, fuel behavior cannot be explained only by a simple combination of these models, because fuel behavior is the result of the coupling of many phenomena. Therefore, as many cases as possible must be used for code verification to determine the appropriate model and parameter selection. The irradiation data of UO2 and MOX of the Russian BN600 reactor were obtained through research. The two fuel elements operated in the Russian BN600 for 559 days, with maximum fuel burnup of 11.8at% and maximum irradiation damage of 78 dpa. The FIBER code was used to analyze the above two fuel elements. the calculation results of fission gas release rate, irradiation deformation, gap, columnar region, are compared with the irradiation data. The comparison results show that the FIBER code is effective for evaluating the irradiation deformation, columnar crystal region, and fission gas release performance of high burnup fuel elements.

     

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