Nuclear-Thermal Analysis of Coated Particle Dispersed Plate-Fuel Loaded in a Novel Research Reactor

摘要

In this paper, we applied the two-temperature homogenized model to the coated particle dispersed plate-fuel in a novel research reactor. The two-temperature homogenized model was obtained by particle transport Monte Carlo calculation applied to the fuel meat region consisting of many coated particles randomly dispersed in the Al matrix. We compared the temperature profiles to those of harmonic- and volumetric-average thermal conductivity models and modified Hashin and Shtrikman correlation. The two-temperature homogenized model gives ～30 K lower maximum temperature than that of harmonic-average thermal conductivity model, and ～30 K higher maximum temperatures than those of volumetric-average thermal conductivity model and modified Hashin and Shtrikman correlation. Since the two-temperature homogenized model is developed using heterogeneous calculations of the coated particle dispersed plate-fuel element, we can obtain more realistic temperature profiles by the two-temperature homogenized model. Since this model gives realistic temperature profiles in the fuel meat (distinguishing fuel-kernels and Al matrix temperatures), it can be used for more accurate neutronics evaluation such as Doppler temperature feedback. The transient thermal calculation may be performed also more realistically with temperature-dependent homogenized parameters in various scenarios.