Abstracts FJ/OH-SS 2005

 

Topic 1 :     Monte Carlo Advances and Challenges

                   Lecturer:             Prof Forrest B. BROWN (Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA)

1.1    Overview of Monte Carlo Simulations Methods
1.2.   State-of-the-art
Monte Carlo Simulations
1.3    Current Research Challenges & Perspectives

Solving particle transport problems with the Monte Carlo method is simple - just simulate the particle behavior. The devil is in the details, however. These lectures provide a balanced approach to the theory and practice of Monte Carlo simulation codes. The first 2 lectures provide an overview of Monte Carlo simulation methods, covering the transport equation, random sampling, computational geometry, collision physics, and statistics. The next 4 lectures focus on advanced topics for state-of-the-art Monte Carlo simulations, covering eigenvalue calculations and convergence analysis, Wielandt acceleration techniques, HTGR modeling and stochastic geometry, and parallel calculations. The final lecture addresses current Monte Carlo limitations and R&D challenges.

 

Topic 2 :     Novel Types of Integral Experiments in Zero-power Reactors

2.1    Source-driven Sub-critical Experiments

Lecturer: Dr George R. IMEL (Argonne National Laboratory, USA)

There are currently several major research programs in the world studying Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) that have revived the interest in the physics of sub-critical systems. Among these, the European programs MUSE (Multiplication Avec Source Externe) in France and TRADE (Triga Reactor Accelerator Driven Experiment) in Italy have generated a rich amount of experimental data demonstrating the difficulties of sub-critical measurements, especially those of reactivity monitoring and measurement. These two preliminary programs have as a major objective the demonstration of techniques that can be used in a future demonstration scale ADS, such as XT-ADS or MYRRAH.

There are two broad groups of experiments that are of primary interest: core characterisation and reactivity measurement. Core characterisation includes such measures as fission rate traverses, beta/lambda, source importance, and spectral indices. These topics will be briefly covered, as they are not so unique to sub-critical systems. More coverage will be devoted to the methods of reactivity measurement and monitoring, as it is here that the problems become much more difficult compared to critical systems.

Thus, we will investigate methods in the following sub-groups: static, quasi-static, and dynamic. Primary in the static category is the source multiplication method, which uses the proportionality of detector count rates to infer the reactivity. Quasi-static methods can be considered as static in the macroscopic sense, but dynamic in the microscopic sense. These include noise and cross-correlation techniques, such as Feynman- and Rossi-alpha. Dynamic techniques include rod-drops, source jerks, and pulsed neutron source.

The basic theories of the above mentioned techniques will be introduced, and the application will be demonstrated with real experimental data from MUSE and TRADE. The problems of extrapolating to a larger scale ADS will also be covered.

 

2.2        Experiments Employing Power-reactor Fuel

Lecturer:             Prof Rakesh CHAWLA (PHB Ecublens, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland)

Short and medium term trends in nuclear power development are dictated, to a considerable extent, by the demands for improved economy, more efficient fuel cycle strategies and greater operational flexibility for current and future light water reactors (LWRs). One of the principal consequences of corresponding utility projects aiming, for example, at higher discharge burnups for the fuel and/or increased cycle lengths is that fuel assembly and reactor core designs have become more and more complex, thereby evoking the need for new validation efforts for the reactor physics calculational tools employed.

Since several years, a research programme, LWR-PROTEUS, has been underway in the above context at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. A unique feature of the integral experiments being performed thereby is the utilisation of actual, full-length power reactor fuel assemblies in the PROTEUS critical facility. This has advantages, not only in terms of the accurate representation of the complex geometrical and material characteristics of the fuel elements, but also regarding the procurement and return of the fuel needed for the PROTEUS test zone.

The present coverage of this novel type of experimentation in zero-power reactors relates mainly to the three different phases of the LWR-PROTEUS programme, viz. (i) the investigation of reaction rate distributions and rod removal worths in highly heterogeneous BWR fuel assemblies, (ii) the assessment of reactivity effects in highly burnt PWR and BWR fuel, and (iii) void coefficient studies for advanced BWRs. A brief overview will also be presented of LIFE@PROTEUS, an R&D programme envisaged for the period 2007-2011, in which a novel database for heterogeneous core loadings will be generated employing significant quantities of highly burnt fuel.

 

Topic 3 :     High Burn-up Fuels for LWRs

3.1    Motivations and Physics Consequences

Lecturer: Dr Kevin W. HESKETH (Nexia Solutions, UK)

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) currently has an Expert Group which is considering very high burn-up fuel in Light Water Reactors (LWRs). This was an initiative that was taken by the NEA Nuclear Science Committee, which considered that very high burn-ups in LWRs was an important current issue that needed to be reviewed systematically. At the time of this lecture, the Expert Group has met twice and is drafting its report, which attempts to consider all the issues raised by very high burn-ups and to indicate how these may be addressed. The final meeting will be held in October at which the draft will be finalised for publication. Much of the material in this lecture reflects the discussions held within the Expert Group and gives you an example of how international organisations can contribute to the continued development of nuclear power.

The lecture looks at the factors that would motivate LWR utilities to extend average discharge burn-ups well beyond current values (taken to be 60 to 100 GWd/t). In particular, it the lecture considers fuel cycle costs and asks whether there is a direct economic incentive for very high burnups. The lecture the considers the impact of very high burn-ups on the nuclear physics aspects and how these technical factors themselves will impact on operations and costs.

The other lectures will develop the theme of very high burn-ups further by looking at the impact on fuel behaviour, operation and safety. The entire subject is a very complicated one with many different technical, economic and strategic factors which interact with one another. As with many questions in the nuclear industry, the inherent complexity means that there are no simple answers and not necessarily any one single picture that applies to all countries that operate LWRs. It illustrates how technical questions become intimately mixed with strategic and economics ones and how important it is for nuclear scientists and engineers to develop an awareness of these other areas.

 

 

3.2    Fuel Performance, Limits, Operational and Safety Issues

Lecturer: Dr Michel R. BILLAUX (Framatome, USA)

The nuclear fuel designer is confronted with a number of safety issues that affect the integrity of the fuel elements. The most important of these issues are described in the first part of the lecture.

The objective of the mechanical design criteria is to resolve the safety issues and prevent fuel rod failures in normal operation and incidental conditions. These criteria are imposed by the safety authorities. They vary from country to country. In the U.S. they set constraints on the rod inner pressure, cladding tangential deformation, cladding creep collapse, cladding fatigue, and cladding oxidation. Fuel melting is not allowed. The mechanical fuel design criteria used in the U.S. are presented in the second part.

The third part is devoted to the thermal-mechanical high burnup effects that may affect cladding integrity and have to be considered in mechanical design calculations.

In the fourth part, the different PCI-failure mechanisms are briefly described: stress-corrosion cracking as well as delayed hydride cracking and brittle hydride failure, which occur only at high burnup.

The use of fuel performance codes and experimental databases is discussed in the last part of the lecture.

 

3.3        Physics Properties of Fuels at High-Burn-ups

Lecturer:             Dr Vincenzo V. RONDINELLA (Institute for Transuranium Elements, Germany)

During its in-pile life, each atom in the nuclear fuel experiences a few thousand displacements from its initial lattice position. In spite of this dramatic occurrence, typical LWR oxide fuel at the end of the irradiation cycles still retains mechanical integrity and a crystalline structure. However, its physical properties have undergone significant alterations under the effect of radiation damage, of power and temperature profiles, and of accumulation of fission and neutron absorption products.

The amount of defects in the fuel structure (point and extended defects, micro and macro bubbles, solute and segregating impurities) accumulating with increasing burn-up will translate in significant alterations of important quantities like thermal conductivity, density and mechanical properties. Fission gas production will contribute to fuel swelling and eventual pressurization of the fuel rod.

At medium-high burnup, the accumulation of fission events will finally produce a restructuring of the fuel structure, through grain subdivision and redistribution of gases and defects. The properties of the newly formed structure, the so-called rim (or high burn-up) -structure will characterize the overall quality and performance of the fuel.

These lectures will describe relevant properties of high burn-up LWR fuel, including the main characterization tools to investigate these fuel materials, and an overview about current views on the formation and consequences of the rim-structure.

 

Topic 4 :     Fuel Behaviour During Design-basis Accidents in LWRs

4.1        LWR Physics and Thermo-hydraulics during DBA (LOCA, RIA, ATWS)

Lecturer: Dr David J. DIAMOND (Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA

Three types of design-basis accidents will be discussed; namely, reactivity initiated accidents, loss-of-coolant accidents and anticipated transients without scram (ATWS). Each will be introduced by explaining the sequence of events and the most important regulatory acceptance criteria. The neutronic and thermal-hydraulic tools used for analysis of these events will be explained in general and then the codes PARCS, RELAP5, and TRACE will be considered. Sample calculations for pressurized and boiling water reactors will be presented with the emphasis on results that are most germane to fuel behaviour.

 

4.2        Fuel Rod Behaviour

Lecturer:             Dr Toyoshi FUKETA (Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Japan)

Fuel behaviours during two types of design-basis accidents, reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) and loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA), will be described and discussed. The sequence of fuel behaviours during each accident will be introduced and thermo-mechanical phenomena in each phase will be explained. As for fuel behaviours in an RIA, the phenomena includes PCMI (pellet/cladding mechanical interaction) and resulting cladding failure in early phase, ballooning and rupture in post-DNB (departure from nucleate boiling) phase, fission gas release, and fuel fragmentation and mechanical energy generation as post-failure events. Regarding rod behaviour in a LOCA, ballooning and rupture in blow-down phase, oxidation and hydrogen absorption at high temperature, rod fracture at quench, pellet relocation are discussed. The lecture includes introduction of pre-existing and on-going research program, currently available database, and some examples of the most important regulatory criteria.

 

4.3        Regulations and Associated Methodologies

Lecturer:             Dr Georges HACHE (Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, France)

According to the defense-in-depth approach, in the design and licensing of light-water reactors, it is postulated that a small set of low-probability accidents will occur, and it is required that the reactor be able to accommodate or mitigate their consequences without affecting the public health and safety. Examples of such postulated accidents are the loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA) and the reactivity-initiated accidents (RIA). The characteristics of these accidents serve to set the requirements for a number of the reactor components or safety systems. The regulatory criteria and associated evaluation models, their history, will be described. They were established mainly in the 70s, when fuel burnup was limited and zircaloy cladding was used in western countries. In the mid 1990s, the safety authorities learned that some regulatory criteria, which have been used to ensure benign behavior of these accidents, might not be adequate at high burnups. Further, there were questions about the applicability of these criteria for new cladding alloys being introduced by the industry. Faced with these concerns, research programs were initiated to investigate the effects of high burnup and new cladding alloys. Despite the fact that these programs are not finished, tendencies to revise some criteria and evaluation models will be described.

 

4.4        Open Issues, On-going and Planned Research

Lecturer:             Dr Wolfgang WIESENACK (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Norway)

Increased fuel discharge burnups and uprated nuclear power plants pose new challenges for fuel performance in both normal and off-normal conditions. Considerable efforts are therefore made worldwide to assess safety margins and provide data in support of existing safety criteria or their revision. In this context, the following items will be addressed:

1     Introduction

2     Fuel and cladding developments with an impact on safety margins and safety criteria

3     Loss-of-Coolant Accident – LOCA

3.1     Open issues

3.2     On-going and planned safety research

3.3     New safety criteria

4     Reactivity Insertion Accident – RIA

4.1     Open issues

4.2     On-going and planned safety research

4.3     New safety criteria

5     Testing methodology

5.1     RIA simulation in test reactors

5.2     LOCA hot lab and in-core testing methodology

6     Supporting code developments

6.1     Whole core / system codes

6.2     Rod or bundle codes

7     Conclusion

The content is based on input from major research organisations and the work and reports produced by the NEA-CSNI “Special Experts Group on Fuel Safety Margins”.


 

Topic 5 :     Impact of Uncertainties on Code Predictions

5.1        Propagation of Uncertainties in Core Neutronics

Lecturer:             Prof Massimo SALVATORES (Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, France)

1.       Introduction
2.       A formal approach to propagate uncertainties, based on Generalized            Perturbation Theory
3.       The problem of covariance data
4.
       Application to Generation-IV systems
5.
       The potential impact on design assessment
6.
       The role and definition of target accuracies
7.
       A new field of application: the system analysis codes
8.       Conclusions

 

5.2        Coupled Simulations Accounting for Uncertainties

Lecturer: Prof Dan G. CACUCI (Universität Karlsruhe, Germany)

A physical system is modeled mathematically in terms of: (a) linear and/or nonlinear equations that relate the system's independent variables and parameters to the system's state (i.e., dependent) variables, (b) inequality and/or equality constraints that delimit the ranges of the system's parameters, and (c) one or several quantities, customarily referred to as system responses (or objective functions, or indices of performance) that are to be analyzed as the parameters vary over their respective ranges. Models of complex physical systems usually involve two distinct sources of uncertainties, namely: (i) stochastic uncertainty, which arises because the system under investigation can behave in many different ways, and (ii) subjective or epistemic uncertainty, which arises from the inability to specify an exact value for a parameter that is assumed to have a constant value in the respective investigation. Epistemic (or subjective) uncertainties characterize a degree of belief regarding the location of the appropriate value of each parameter. In turn, these subjective uncertainties lead to subjective uncertainties for the response, thus reflecting a corresponding degree of belief regarding the location of the appropriate response values as the outcome of analyzing the model under consideration. A typical example of a complex system that involves both stochastic and epistemic uncertainties is a nuclear reactor power plant: in a typical risk analysis of a nuclear power plant, stochastic uncertainty arises due to the hypothetical accident scenarios which are considered in the respective risk analysis, while epistemic uncertainties arise because of uncertain parameters that underlie the estimation of the probabilities and consequences of the respective hypothetical accident scenarios.

Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis procedures can be either local or global in scope. The objective of local analysis is to analyze the behavior of the system response locally around a chosen point (for static systems) or chosen trajectory (for dynamical systems) in the combined phase space of parameters and state variables. On the other hand, the objective of global analysis is to determine all of the system's critical points (bifurcations, turning points, response maxima, minima, and/or saddle points) in the combined phase space formed by the parameters and dependent (state) variables, and subsequently analyze these critical points by local sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. The methods for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis are based on either statistical or deterministic procedures. In principle, both types of procedures can be used for either local or for global sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, although, in practice, deterministic methods are used mostly for local analysis while statistical methods are used for both local and global analysis. It is important to note that all statistical uncertainty and sensitivity analysis methods first commence with the “uncertainty analysis” stage, and only subsequently proceed to the “sensitivity analysis” stage; this procedural path is the reverse of the procedural (and conceptual) path underlying the deterministic methods of sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, where the sensitivities are determined prior to using them for uncertainty analysis.

In practice, sensitivities cannot be computed exactly by using statistical methods; this can be done only by using deterministic methods. The deterministic methods most commonly used for computing local sensitivities are the “brute-force” method based on recalculations, the direct method (including the decoupled direct method), the Green’s function method, the forward sensitivity analysis procedure (FSAP), and the adjoint sensitivity analysis procedure (ASAP). The direct method and the FSAP require at least as many model-evaluations as there are parameters in the model, while the ASAP requires a single model-evaluation of an appropriate adjoint model, whose source term is related to the response under investigation. The ASAP is the most efficient method for computing local sensitivities of large-scale systems, when the number of parameters and/or parameter variations exceeds the number of responses of interest. The adjoint model requires relatively modest additional resources to develop and implement if this is done simultaneously with the development of the original model. If, however, the adjoint model is constructed a posteriori, considerable skills may be required for its successful development and implementation.

Once they become available, the exact local sensitivities can be used for the following purposes: (i) understand the system by highlighting important data; (ii) eliminate unimportant data; (iii) determine effects of parameter variations on the system’s behavior; (iv) design and optimize the system (e.g., maximize availability/minimize maintenance); (v) reduce over-design; (vi) prioritize the improvements to be effected in the respective system; (vii) prioritize introduction of data uncertainties; (viii) perform local uncertainty analysis by using the method of “propagation of errors” (also known as the “propagation of moments,” or the “Taylor-Series”).

To begin with, this Lecture provides a brief description of selected definitions and considerations underlying the theory and practice of measurements and the errors associated with them. After reviewing the main sources and features of errors, the current procedures for dealing with errors and uncertainties are presented for direct and for indirect measurements, to set the stage for a fundamental concept used for assessing the magnitude and effects of errors both in complex measurements and computations. The practical consequences of this fundamental concept are embodied in the “propagation of errors (moments)” equations. The propagation of errors equations provides a systematic way of obtaining the uncertainties in results of measurements and computations, arising not only from uncertainties in the parameters that enter the respective computational model but also from numerical approximations. Furthermore, the “propagation of errors” equations combine systematically and consistently the parameter errors with the sensitivities of responses (i.e., results of measurements and/or computations) to the respective parameters, thus providing the symbiotic linchpin between the objectives of uncertainty analysis and those of sensitivity analysis.

Historically, the development of large-scale simulation models took many years and invariably involved large, and sometimes changing, teams of scientists. Furthermore, such complex models consist of many inter-coupled modules, each module simulating a particular physical sub-process, serving as “bricks” within the structure of the respective large-scale simulation code system. Since the adjoint sensitivity analysis procedure (ASAP) has not been widely known in the past, most of the extant large-scale, complex models have been developed without also having simultaneously developed and implemented the corresponding adjoint sensitivity model. Implementing a posteriori the ASAP for large-scale simulation codes is not trivial, and the development and implementation of the adjoint sensitivity model for the entire large-scale code system can seldom be executed all at once, in one fell swoop. Actually, an “all-or-nothing” approach for developing and implementing the complete, and correspondingly complex, adjoint sensitivity model for a large-scale code is at best difficult (and, at worst, impractical), and is therefore not recommended. Instead, the recommended strategy is a module-by-module implementation of the ASAP. In this approach, the ASAP is applied step-wise, to each simulation module, in turn, to develop a corresponding adjoint sensitivity system for each module. As the final step in this “modular” implementation of the ASAP, the adjoint sensitivity systems for each of the respective modules are “augmented,” without redundant effort and/or loss of information, until all adjoint modules are judiciously connected together, accounting for all of the requisite feedbacks and liaisons between the respective adjoint modules.

This Lecture also sketches the theoretical foundation for the modular implementation of the ASAP for coupled, complex simulation code systems; this modular approach commences with a selected code module, and then proceeds by augmenting the size of the adjoint sensitivity system, module by module, until exhaustively completing the entire coupled system under consideration. Finally, this Lecture concludes by presenting an illustrative application of the coupled adjoint fluid dynamics/heat structure sensitivity model, ASM-REL/TFH, which was developed within the large-scale safety analysis code RELAP5/MOD3.2, for an efficient sensitivity analysis of the QUENCH-04 experiment performed at the Research Center Karlsruhe (FZK).

REFERENCES

1. D.G. Cacuci, Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis: Theory, Volume 1, Chapman & Hall/CRC, Boca Raton, 2003.

2. D.G. Cacuci, M. Ionescu-Bujor, and M.I. Navon, Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis: Applications to Large Scale Systems, Volume 2, Chapman & Hall/CRC, Boca Raton, 2005.

3. D.G. Cacuci, M.I. Navon, and M. Ionescu-Bujor, Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis: Data Adjustment and Assimilation, Volume 3, Chapman & Hall/CRC, Boca Raton, 2006.

 

 

5.3        Best-estimate Safety Analysis

Lecturer: Dr Eric CHOJNACKI (Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté                                   Nucléaire, France)

Best- estimate codes are designed to provide unbiased and physically realistic results contrary to conservative codes. Due to input uncertainties and other uncertainty sources as for example the lack of knowledge in physical phenomena, modelling the calculation results obtained from these ‘best-estimate’ or advanced computer codes are also known with some imprecision. As these best-estimate codes are increasingly used for accidental management procedures and planned to be used for licensing purposes, it became of prime importance to be able to quantify their uncertainties. Thus, OECD/CSNI have supported an Uncertainty Methods Study (UMS) to compare different uncertainty methods on a small break Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) transient on the experimental facility LSTF and are now supporting the Best-Estimate Methodologies for Uncertainty and Sensitivity Evaluation (BEMUSE) program which consists into performing an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for a large break LOCA transient on the integral test facility LOFT and a nuclear power plant. Nine out of ten participants of the BEMUSE program use probabilistic methods with a large of common characteristics. In particular, for the uncertainty propagation, it appears that all participants  use a random sampling method (LHS or SRS) and for evaluating the uncertainty margins a majority of participants intend to use order statistics results such as Wilks’ formula.

After a quick review of the principle of probabilistic methodologie  and Monte-Carlo simulations, we will explain the benefits and drawbacks of LHS and SRS sampling techniques. A special focus will be given on the use of order statistics both to limit the number of code calculations and to derive uncertainty margins directly from code results without any additional hypothesis as for example fit tests or response surfaces techniques. Moreover order statistics allow to measure the quality of uncertainty margins and consequently provide a way to know the sample size effect on the evaluated safety margins.

However, although Monte-Carlo methods provide extremely flexible and powerful techniques for solving many of the uncertainty propagation problems encountered in nuclear safety analysis, Monte-Carlo methods present two major drawbacks. Like most methods based on probability theory , Monte-Carlo methods need a lot of knowledge. Indeed to determine the probability law associated to each uncertain parameter, it is necessary to have collected a considerable amount of data or to make assumptions in the place of such empirical information. Moreover, to perform a Monte-Carlo simulation, it is also required to provide information about all the possible dependencies between the uncertain parameters. Unfortunately, in practice, such information is rarely fully available and the impact of the assumptions made to mitigate this lack of knowledge can deteriorate the relevance of the decision-making. Thus, in a second part of this lecture, we will present from a simple example, recent advances in Dempster-Shafer theory which allow to overcome the robustness problem of the uncertainty assessment due to the choice of the marginal probabilities and their correlations to model the uncertainties in standard Monte-Carlo simulations.

 

Topic 6 :     Space Nuclear Systems

6.1    History and Motivations for Spatial Propulsion Reactors
Lecturer: Prof Samim ANGHAIE (University of Florida, USA)

The space nuclear power and propulsion program in the Unites States was motivated by the need to develop Intercontinental Ballistic Missile in early 1950’s. The nuclear rocket engine development program started in 1955 with the initiation of the ROVER project. The first step in the ROVER program was the KIWI project that included the development and testing of 8 non-flyable ultrahigh temperature nuclear test reactors during 1955-1964. The KIWI project was precursor to the PHOEBUS carbon-based fuel reactor project that resulted in ground testing of three high power reactors during 1965-1968 with the last reactor operated at 4,100 MW. During the same time period a parallel program was pursued to develop a nuclear thermal rocket based on cermet fuel technology. The third component of the ROVER program was the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications (NERVA) that was initiated in 1961 with the primary goal of designing the first generation of nuclear rocket engine based on the KIWI project experience. The fourth component of the ROVER program was the Reactor In-Flight Test (RIFT) project that was intended to design, fabricate, and flight test a NERVA powered upper stage engine for the Saturn-class lunch vehicle. During the ROVER program era, the Unites States ventured in a comprehensive space nuclear program that included design and testing of several compact reactors and space suitable power conversion systems, and the development of a few light weight heat rejection systems. Contrary to its sister ROVER program, the space nuclear power program resulted in the first ever deployment and in-space operation of the nuclear powered SNAP-10A in 1965.

The USSR space nuclear program started in early 70’s and resulted in deployment of two 6 kWe TOPAZ reactors into space and ground testing of the prototype of a relatively small nuclear rocket engine in 1984. The US ambition for the development and deployment of space nuclear power and propulsion was resurrected in early 1980’s, early 1990’s, and early 2000’s with the initiation of several research programs that included the SP-100 and the PROMETHUS program.

 

 

6.2        Main Challenges and Technical Issues related to Space
Lecturer: Prof Samim ANGHAIE (University of Florida, USA)

Space nuclear power and propulsion systems are operated at very high power densities and temperatures. Other unique features of space nuclear power systems include compactness, light weight, and tight coupling with power conversion to electricity or thrust. Meeting all design requirements for space nuclear systems presents technical challenges in areas of fuel and materials, nuclear and thermal-fluid design, safety and reliability, and power conversion.

In general, high power space nuclear systems are divided in two categories: Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) and Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP). The propellant in NTP systems is hydrogen that is heated by reactor core to temperatures as high as 3300K. Uranium carbides and tungsten alloy based cermet are the primary fuel materials of choice for NTP system. In particular, uranium-refractory bi- and tri-carbides such as (U,Zr)C and (U,Zr,Nb)C, and cermets such as UO2-W/Re, UN-W/Re, and (U,Zr)CN-W/Re are considered the most promising fuel materials for high performance NTP systems. The key performance indicator for NTP systems is fuel stability and performance in hot hydrogen environment. Material requirement for NEP systems varies with the design of power sources and electric thrusters. Multimegawatt NEP operations require using higher temperature power cycles to maximize the specific power (KW/Kg). High temperature power conversion using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD), thermionics, alkali metal Rankine, or Brayton gas turbine require special materials such as single crystal tungsten, molybdenum, and chromium alloys. Multimegawatt power systems also require lightweight radiator materials for heat rejection at elevated temperatures (T> 800K).

Space nuclear reactors most distinguishing nuclear design features include the use of reflector and solid moderator in thermal systems, and highly enriched uranium. Main challenges in reactor physics calculation are primarily attributed to the generation of high temperature neutron cross sections. The safety issues are dominated by the potential for criticality accident initiated by water submersion or impact with the ground.

 

Technical Visit
at the
Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH:
”Experimental activities related to nuclear safety and
innovative cooling technologies”

 

Special Event
Seminar
The new FRM-II Reactor in
Munich
 Lecturer: Prof Dr K. Böning (Technische Universität München)