{"title":"Optimization of the route of the refueling machine to reduce the refueling time: Case study of the BN-800 reactor","authors":"O.L. Tashlykov, A.N. Sesekin, V.A. Klimova, K.A. Mahmoud","doi":"10.1016/j.nucengdes.2024.113725","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR) are included in the list of fourth-generation nuclear energy systems, the so-called generation IV (GEN-IV). It is the only technology of GEN-IV that possesses the significant practical experience of design, construction, and operation of high-power reactors. Due to the high temperature of the coolant at the BN-600 and BN-800 reactor core outlets, the steam generator produces steam with higher enthalpy, and this significantly increases the efficiency of cogeneration at SFR power plants in comparison with pressured water reactor (PWR) or boiling water reactor (BWR) units. The primary nuclear fuel effectiveness rises due to cogeneration with higher efficiency of a sodium-cooled fast reactor nuclear power plant (NPP) in comparison with thermal reactors. In addition, it is necessary to reduce the reactor refueling outages to improve the nuclear power plant utilization factor.</div><div>It is possible to reduce the duration of the reactor refueling by the route optimization of the refueling machine movement. The prevailing in the world thermal neutron reactors with water cooling have a refueling machine that points the certain fuel assembly using two coordinates. The fast neutron reactors use sodium as a coolant; thus, there is a problem with its violent reaction with water and air oxygen. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude the contact of sodium and surrounding air during the refueling. To achieve this, the system of refueling machine pointing is used, consisting of two or three eccentrically located rotating plugs with hydraulic locks. The article presents the results of the creation of mathematical models of refueling machine movement and fuel assembly gripping. The time-optimal algorithms for the operation of refueling machines with three rotating plugs are proposed. The use of the new algorithm allows to reduce the time of movement of the grip of the refueling machine by 30–37%.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19170,"journal":{"name":"Nuclear Engineering and Design","volume":"431 ","pages":"Article 113725"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nuclear Engineering and Design","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0029549324008252","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR) are included in the list of fourth-generation nuclear energy systems, the so-called generation IV (GEN-IV). It is the only technology of GEN-IV that possesses the significant practical experience of design, construction, and operation of high-power reactors. Due to the high temperature of the coolant at the BN-600 and BN-800 reactor core outlets, the steam generator produces steam with higher enthalpy, and this significantly increases the efficiency of cogeneration at SFR power plants in comparison with pressured water reactor (PWR) or boiling water reactor (BWR) units. The primary nuclear fuel effectiveness rises due to cogeneration with higher efficiency of a sodium-cooled fast reactor nuclear power plant (NPP) in comparison with thermal reactors. In addition, it is necessary to reduce the reactor refueling outages to improve the nuclear power plant utilization factor.
It is possible to reduce the duration of the reactor refueling by the route optimization of the refueling machine movement. The prevailing in the world thermal neutron reactors with water cooling have a refueling machine that points the certain fuel assembly using two coordinates. The fast neutron reactors use sodium as a coolant; thus, there is a problem with its violent reaction with water and air oxygen. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude the contact of sodium and surrounding air during the refueling. To achieve this, the system of refueling machine pointing is used, consisting of two or three eccentrically located rotating plugs with hydraulic locks. The article presents the results of the creation of mathematical models of refueling machine movement and fuel assembly gripping. The time-optimal algorithms for the operation of refueling machines with three rotating plugs are proposed. The use of the new algorithm allows to reduce the time of movement of the grip of the refueling machine by 30–37%.
期刊介绍:
Nuclear Engineering and Design covers the wide range of disciplines involved in the engineering, design, safety and construction of nuclear fission reactors. The Editors welcome papers both on applied and innovative aspects and developments in nuclear science and technology.
Fundamentals of Reactor Design include:
• Thermal-Hydraulics and Core Physics
• Safety Analysis, Risk Assessment (PSA)
• Structural and Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Fuel Behavior and Design
• Structural Plant Design
• Engineering of Reactor Components
• Experiments
Aspects beyond fundamentals of Reactor Design covered:
• Accident Mitigation Measures
• Reactor Control Systems
• Licensing Issues
• Safeguard Engineering
• Economy of Plants
• Reprocessing / Waste Disposal
• Applications of Nuclear Energy
• Maintenance
• Decommissioning
Papers on new reactor ideas and developments (Generation IV reactors) such as inherently safe modular HTRs, High Performance LWRs/HWRs and LMFBs/GFR will be considered; Actinide Burners, Accelerator Driven Systems, Energy Amplifiers and other special designs of power and research reactors and their applications are also encouraged.