• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.2163-2173
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• 2024

This study introduces a transient analysis module developed for RAST-V and validates it using the Kalinin-3 benchmark problem. For the benchmark analysis, RAST-V standalone and STREAM/RAST-V calculations were performed. STREAM supplies the few-group constants and RAST-V conducts a 3D core simulation utilizing few-group cross-sectional data. To improve accuracy, the main solver was developed based on the advanced semi-analytic nodal method. To evaluate the computational capability of the transient analysis module in RAST-V, Kalinin-3 benchmark is employed. Kalinin-3 represents a coolant transient benchmark that offers experimental data during the deactivation of the Main Circulation Pumps. Consequently, the transient calculations reflected the changes in the reactor flow rate. Benchmark comprising steady-state and transient calculations. During the steady state, the STREAM/RAST-V combination demonstrated a 30 ppm root mean square difference from 0 to 128.50 EFPD. For the transient calculations, STREAM/RAST-V showed power differences within ±7 % over a range of 0-300 s. Axial offset differences were within ±3 %, and the RMS difference in radial power ranged within 2.596 % at both 0 and 300 s. Overall, this study effectively demonstrated the newly developed transient solver in RAST-V and validated it using the Kalinin-3 benchmark problem.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.313-342
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• 2014

A Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) benchmark for Uncertainty Analysis in Modeling (UAM) is defined in order to facilitate the development and validation of available uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis methods for best-estimate Light water Reactor (LWR) design and safety calculations. The benchmark has been named the OECD/NEA UAM-LWR benchmark, and has been divided into three phases each of which focuses on a different portion of the uncertainty propagation in LWR multi-physics and multi-scale analysis. Several different reactor cases are modeled at various phases of a reactor calculation. This paper discusses Phase I, known as the "Neutronics Phase", which is devoted mostly to the propagation of nuclear data (cross-section) uncertainty throughout steady-state stand-alone neutronics core calculations. Three reactor systems (for which design, operation and measured data are available) are rigorously studied in this benchmark: Peach Bottom Unit 2 BWR, Three Mile Island Unit 1 PWR, and VVER-1000 Kozloduy-6/Kalinin-3. Additional measured data is analyzed such as the KRITZ LEU criticality experiments and the SNEAK-7A and 7B experiments of the Karlsruhe Fast Critical Facility. Analyzed results include the top five neutron-nuclide reactions, which contribute the most to the prediction uncertainty in keff, as well as the uncertainty in key parameters of neutronics analysis such as microscopic and macroscopic cross-sections, six-group decay constants, assembly discontinuity factors, and axial and radial core power distributions. Conclusions are drawn regarding where further studies should be done to reduce uncertainties in key nuclide reaction uncertainties (i.e.: $^{238}U$ radiative capture and inelastic scattering (n, n') as well as the average number of neutrons released per fission event of $^{239}Pu$).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.1485-1494
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• 2023

The bow of the nuclear fuel assembly is a well-known phenomenon. One of the vital criteria during the history of nuclear fuel development has been fuel assembly's mechanical stability. Once present, the fuel assembly bow can lead to safety issues like excessive water gap and power redistribution or even incomplete rod insertion (IRI). The extensive bow can result in assembly handling and loading problems. This is why the fuel assembly's bow is one of the most often controlled geometrical factors during periodic fuel inspections for VVER when compared e.g. to on-site fuel rod gap measurements or other instrumental measurements performed on-site. Our proposed screening method uses existing video records for fuel inspection. We establish video frames normalization and aggregation for the purposes of bow measurement. The whole process is done by digital image processing algorithms which analyze rotations of video frames, extract angles whose source is the fuel set torsion, and reconstruct torsion schema. This approach provides results comparable to the commonly utilized method. We tested this new approach in real operation on 19 fuel assemblies with different campaign numbers and designs, where the average deviation from other methods was less than 2 % on average. Due to the fact, that the method has not yet been validated during full scale measurements of the fuel inspection, the preliminary results stand for that we recommend this method as a complementary part of standard bow measurement procedures to increase measurement robustness, lower time consumption and preserve or increase accuracy. After completed validation it is expected that the proposed method allows standalone fuel assembly bow measurements.