Progress in Nuclear Energy最新文献

{"title":"A simulator and controller for the real-time autonomous operation of pressurized water reactors based on expert systems","authors":"Marcos A.G.S. Filho ,&nbsp;Igor B. Baptista ,&nbsp;Alan M.M. Lima ,&nbsp;Victor H.C. Pinheiro ,&nbsp;Roberto Schirru","doi":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105675","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105675","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) power control is carried out by continuously monitoring relevant parameters that depend on operating conditions. It is up to the plant operator to identify when one of these parameters move out of its expected values and perform all the necessary procedures to guarantee that these parameters return to its pre-defined values in a safe way. However, decision-making of which procedures should be done by reactor operators can be subjective, based both on official guidelines and operator expertise. The objective of this work is to implement a real-time autonomous operation system (AOS) that incorporates the knowledge of a human operator for the core power control of a PWR. This AOS is divided in two modules: an expert system controller and a reactivity simulator module. The expert system controller must be able to reproduce all decision processes that would be done by a human operator during their daily activities, while the reactivity simulator reproduces the online behavior of the nuclear plant. The implementation of this AOS is verified and validated against real data of a full operational cycle of a PWR and the presented results show an excellent agreement between AOS simulation and reactor records.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20617,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Nuclear Energy","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 105675"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143548621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advanced and Small Modular Reactors’ supply chain: Current status and potential for global cooperation","authors":"Farooq Ahmad,&nbsp;Shoaib Usman","doi":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105661","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105661","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A well-developed and fully coordinated supply chain not only brings down the direct EPC cost but also provides cheaper design options. Most importantly, a local well-established supply chain reduces uncertainty and risks associated with construction time and project cost overrun and hence limits the contingencies which are about 15 % of total investment costs. It is therefore important to fully understand the status of one's supply chain before embarking on a major engineering project. In the recent past, the manufacturing and procurement issues along with immaturity of design and licensing, have caused delays and cost overruns in Gen-III FOAK construction projects in many countries This study includes the attributes of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), their current status and potential capability in the Midwest of the United States for its active participation in nuclear supply chain. Moreover, Applicable codes and standards pertinent to nuclear industry are discussed along with the potential challenges for globalization of nuclear supply chain. Among those, adoptability and acceptance of nuclear codes/standards are major issues. The harmonization of various codes and standards would result in lowering the costs during construction and operation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20617,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Nuclear Energy","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 105661"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143548622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A load following reactivity control system for nuclear microreactors","authors":"Kamal K. Abdulraheem,&nbsp;Sooyoung Choi,&nbsp;Qicang Shen,&nbsp;Brendan Kochunas,&nbsp;Majdi I. Radaideh","doi":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105676","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105676","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microreactors are scaled-down versions of small modular nuclear reactors designed to simplify the deployment and reduce the cost of nuclear energy. One of the key requirements for achieving these goals is the development of reliable load-following control systems. In this study, we designed and analyzed three load-following control systems for a microreactor design. The microreactor core is modeled using a nonlinear point kinetics model coupled with thermal-hydraulic, fission product poison, and reactivity models. The first control method implemented was a nonlinear second-order super-twisting sliding mode control system (STC), enhanced with a moving average filter to mitigate chattering—a high-frequency phenomenon that can damage actuators. The second approach utilized a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) scheme with an extended Kalman filter for improved state estimation. The final design was a PID controller, optimized with anti-windup compensation for the integral term and a filter for the derivative component to handle noise. We evaluated these control systems through simulation experiments, focusing on their stability, tracking performance, and control effort. The results show that all three control systems achieved the desired load-following capability. While the PID controller required the least control effort, error analysis metrics such as integral absolute error (IAE) and integral time absolute error (ITAE) revealed that its performance deteriorates over time due to its linear nature. In contrast, the second-order sliding mode controller (STC) and NMPC demonstrated superior error handling and robustness than PID concerning accuracy and stability. Nonetheless, unlike the nonlinear model predictive controller, the second-order sliding mode control system still suffers from chattering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20617,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Nuclear Energy","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 105676"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529039","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Numerical simulation of the effect of key structural parameters on the operating characteristics of open natural circulation systems","authors":"Shengnan Zhang ,&nbsp;Lu Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhaoming Meng ,&nbsp;Zhongning Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105693","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105693","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The passive containment cooling system of nuclear power plants is a crucial component for preventing the leakage of radioactive materials under accident conditions. The open natural circulation system is selected as the primary structure of the passive containment cooling system due to its simple loop design, fewer heat transfer stages, and strong heat dissipation capacity. To enhance the heat dissipation capacity, reliability during startup, and stability during operation of the passive containment cooling system, this paper employs a self-developed one-dimensional system analysis program to study the impact of key parameters in the open natural circulation system loop. The results indicate that the piping layout of the system affects the instability of loop startup and steady-state flow, as well as its heat dissipation capability. The inclined arrangement of the piping at the heat exchanger outlet can effectively improve stability and heat dissipation performance. A reduction in water level enhances flow and heat transfer in the loop; the system's heat dissipation capacity reaches its optimal level when the outlet position of the ascending section is level with the water tank liquid level. Increasing the pipe diameter can effectively enhance circulation and heat dissipation capabilities, where the acceleration pressure drop has a significant effect on the two-phase segment in homogeneous flow model calculations. Additionally, setting the dimensions of the flashing section separately can further improve heat transfer effectiveness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20617,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Nuclear Energy","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 105693"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143528664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prototyping of nuclear fuel assembly parts by laser powder bed fusion of Inconel 718","authors":"Sang Guk Jeong ,&nbsp;Eun Seong Kim ,&nbsp;Soung Yeoul Ahn ,&nbsp;Joo Hong Chun ,&nbsp;Joo Young Ryu ,&nbsp;Han Gil Woo ,&nbsp;Sang Hun Yoo ,&nbsp;Suk Hoon Kang ,&nbsp;Hyoung Seop Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105694","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105694","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology offers various advantages, making it a promising option for the nuclear industry. This study presents an LPBF-prototyping case for its potential use in the nuclear industry. After optimizing the LPBF process and heat treatment conditions, mechanical tests were performed, including room-temperature and high-temperature tensile and fatigue tests. The samples demonstrated mechanical properties sufficient to replace commercial parts. The bottom grid and bottom nozzle parts of a nuclear fuel assembly were also manufactured using LPBF technology and compared to commercial parts. The high design flexibility of LPBF allowed for innovative structures, resulting in better performance than commercial parts. These research examples support the practical application of additive manufacturing in the nuclear field by providing necessary data for standardization and certification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20617,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Nuclear Energy","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 105694"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143519707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental measurement and theoretical calculation of Ar-41 radioactivity in the primary coolant of HTR-10","authors":"Rui Nie,&nbsp;Yu Wang,&nbsp;Feng Xie,&nbsp;Weihua Zhang,&nbsp;Jianzhu Cao,&nbsp;Liqiang Wei,&nbsp;Tao Ma,&nbsp;Xiaowei Li","doi":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105686","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105686","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ar-41 is a key activation product in the primary circuit of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) and a concern for reactor radiation safety, impacting doses for nuclear power plant staff and nearby residents. Currently, the source of Ar-40 in pebble-bed HTGRs is unclear, and systematic research is lacking. In this study, the Ar-41 source term of the 10 MW high-temperature gas-cooled experimental reactor (HTR-10) was determined based on the operating status. The Ar-41 source term calculation model for HTGRs was established with three-types Ar-41 source term: pulse, short-time constant, and constant sources. The accuracy of the calculation model for the Ar-41 source term was confirmed by comparing the theoretical and experimental radioactivities of Ar-41 in the primary circuit, both of which varied in 10⁷–10⁸ Bq during normal operation and exhibited consistent trends. Finally, we proposed reducing radioactivity in the primary circuit by controlling the entry of Ar-40 or increasing the HPS's flow rate while maintaining purification efficiency. Current research fills a gap in the Ar-41 source term study in the primary circuit and systematically constructs a framework and methodology for calculating the Ar-41 source term in HTGRs, which provides strong support for the safe operation of HTGRs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20617,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Nuclear Energy","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 105686"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143519708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Numerical investigation of separation and flow characteristics of gas-liquid separators for lithium-cooled space nuclear reactor","authors":"Wendong Li ,&nbsp;Ming Jin ,&nbsp;Chao Liu ,&nbsp;Yong Song ,&nbsp;Yang Li ,&nbsp;Danna Zhou ,&nbsp;Tao Zhou ,&nbsp;Jieqiong Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105682","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105682","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High-power space reactors utilizing liquid lithium as a coolant exhibit significant potential due to the high specific power, extended operational life, and reduced environmental dependence. A significant issue is that liquid lithium generates helium under core irradiation. Such phenomenon provokes challenges on separating and storing helium in a microgravity environment. To solve this problem, the current work proposes a specific design for a passive centrifugal Gas-Liquid Separator (GLS). The performance of the designed GLS was verified and validated by parametric investigations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. The performance parameters, i.e., flow, separation, and gas-storage were analyzed in detail. The results confirmed that the stable separation and storage of helium can be achieved successfully by the GLS. The mechanisms of separation and gas-storage were revealed through dynamic gas-liquid interface variations, static pressure distribution, three-dimensional streamlines, axial and tangential velocities, and velocity magnitudes. The characteristics of flow, separation, and gas-storage within the GLS were precisely identified. According to the analysis of the three-dimensional flow field, gas within the gas-storage zone of the GLS exhibited stable and slow internal circulation, which was the critical indicator for maintaining effective gas-storage. Flow rate, helix angle (<em>θ</em>_s) and height to diameter ratio (<em>H</em>/<em>D</em>_s) were critical parameters influencing the separation and gas-storage performance of GLS. Notably, with varying flow rates, separation efficiency and maximum gas storage mass exhibited opposite variation trends. Decreasing <em>θ</em>_s can significantly enhance the separation and gas storage capabilities of the GLS. When the volume of gas-storage zone remains constant, variations in <em>H</em>/<em>D</em>_s lead to non-monotonic changes in tangential velocity and axial velocity, which lead to opposite effects on maximum gas storage mass and separation efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20617,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Nuclear Energy","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 105682"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143519709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research on filtration performance optimization of venturi scrubber with stirring baffle","authors":"Yangfeng Wu ,&nbsp;Yanmin Zhou ,&nbsp;Zhiming Zhang ,&nbsp;Jingmei Zhu ,&nbsp;Zhongning Sun ,&nbsp;Haifeng Gu ,&nbsp;Qianchao Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105622","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the core equipment of wet-type Filtered Containment Venting System (FCVS), the self-priming venturi scrubber has the characteristics of passive operation, reliable work, and superior filtration performance, and is widely used in the design of active nuclear power plant systems. In this paper, the filtration performance of the venturi scrubber is taken as the evaluation index, and the venturi scrubber is optimized by using a combination of numerical calculation and experimental based on the structure of the stirring baffle. By controlling the two structural parameters of the axial setting height and the area ratio of the gas phase opening, the effect of structural parameters of the stirring battle on the two-phase flow characteristic and atomization characteristic of the venturi scrubber was obtained. Subsequently, coupling CFD and dust particle capture theory to theoretically calculate the filtration efficiency, combined with experimental verification, the structural parameters of the stirring baffle with the best filtration performance were obtained. The results show that compared with the traditional venturi scrubber, the venturi scrubber with a stirring baffle with an axial height of 120 mm and an area ratio of gas phase opening of 0.8 can achieve a filtration efficiency of more than 99.9% for aerosols with a low flow resistance. Finally, the optimization suggestions for the structure of the stirring baffle were proposed. This paper is of great significance for the upgrading of the venturi scrubber and the optimization of the nuclear industry and systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20617,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Nuclear Energy","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 105622"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143519706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Numerical study of forced circulation and natural circulation transition characteristics of a small modular reactor equipped with helical-coiled steam generators","authors":"Jianping Zhou ,&nbsp;Maolong Liu ,&nbsp;Ziyi Xu ,&nbsp;Limin Liu ,&nbsp;Jianhua Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105672","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105672","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transient thermal hydraulic characteristics of the helical-coiled steam generator (H-OTSG) is important for the safety of the nuclear reactor. No research has yet addressed the transition between natural circulation and forced circulation in small modular pressurized water reactors equipped with H-OTSGs. In the present study, a numerical simulation study was carried out to investigate the transient thermal hydraulic characteristics of a H-OTSG during a transient process between forced circulation and natural circulation using the SGTH-1D code. Different transition schemes have significant impact on the thermal-hydraulics characteristics of the H-OTSG. An optimized transition scheme was established to perform a smooth transition between forced circulation and natural circulation without significant perturbation on the shell- and tube-side parameters. The results of the present study can be used to optimize the operation procedure of the small modular reactor equipped with H-OTSGs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20617,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Nuclear Energy","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 105672"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143512578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fast prediction and inverse modeling for parameterized depressurization from a CO2 vessel using POD-BPNN reduced-order method","authors":"Yanjie Kang ,&nbsp;Gengyuan Tian ,&nbsp;Yanping Huang ,&nbsp;Sulin Qin ,&nbsp;Qingyu Huang ,&nbsp;Yuan Yuan ,&nbsp;Yuan Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105684","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105684","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rapid and accurate prediction and inversion of Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) are crucial for reactor safety. Existing methods struggle with computational efficiency and heavy reliance on detectors, which are difficult to deploy in confined, high-pressure environments and prone to noise and failure. This study introduces a parameterized model using Reduced-Order Modeling (ROM) for predicting depressurization and leak location inversion in pressure vessels. A CO₂ vessel case study utilizes a phase separation model as the Full-Order Model (FOM) to generate pressure and liquid level snapshots under various initial conditions, such as temperature, pressure, and leak height. Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) is employed to extract reduced-order bases and coefficients, while Back Propagation Neural Networks (BPNNs) map initial conditions to these coefficients, enabling rapid depressurization prediction. The model is integrated into an inversion framework based on pressure response, with a grid search algorithm refining leak location estimates. Predictions for 0–1200 s take less than 1 s, with errors under 0.2% compared to the FOM. Inversion errors remain below 4% across noise levels, showcasing robustness. This POD-BPNN ROM method holds promise for efficient LOCA prediction and inversion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20617,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Nuclear Energy","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 105684"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143512599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}