Components for constituting a nuclear reactor core, and method of operating a nuclear reactor

Abstract: The present invention provides a structural component for constituting a reactor core comprising one and the other metallic members (1, 2; 11, 12) arranged adjacent to each other in a reactor, and reduction means for reducing a difference in the swelling between the metallic members due to neutron irradiation thereto; a core of the reactor comprising a plurality of such constructural element; and a method for operating a reactor having metallic tubular members (1; 11) arranged in a core of the reactor and each enclosing a plurality of metallic cladding tubes (2; 12) in each of which substance heated by neutron irradiation thereto and cooled by passing coolant (3) through the reactor core is filled, wherein the reactor is operated under a condition that an average used temper­ ature of the cladding tubes (2; 12) is higher than an irradiation temperature that the swelling rate of the cladding material due to neutron irradiation thereto becomes maximum and an average used temperature of the tubular members (1; 11) is lower than an irradiation temperature that the swelling rate of the tubular material due to neutron irradiation thereto becomes maximum. According to the structural component and the reactor core, since the difference in the swelling between the metallic members (1, 2; 11, 12) due to neutron irradiation thereto can be decreased, any mechanical interactions can be prevented or reduced. According to the present method, since the difference in the swelling between the metallic members (1, 2; 11, 12) due to neutron irradiation thereto can be decreased due to the above operation temperature condition, any mechanical inter­ actions can be prevented or reduced.

Description: The present invention relates to fast breeder reactors, and more particularly, it relates to a structural component for constituting a nuclear reactor core, a core of a nuclear reactor constituted by such components, and a method for operating such reactor of the kind referred to in the preamble portions of claims 1, 9 and 10, respectively. Such a component and a core are known from JP.A 57.166591 corresponding to FR-A-25 03 917. In general, a core of a fast breeder reactor is formed by bundling a plurality of fuel assemblies each comprising a bundle of cladding tubes in which fuel pellets are filled respectively and each enclosed by a hexagonal duct, to provide a coolant flow channel. Further, in such reactor core, the breeding of the fuel is improved by enclosing the core by axial and radial blankets of fertile material. The fuel such as enriched uranium or plutonium added uranium is mounted in the core, and the fertile material such as natural uranium or depleted uranium is mounted in the blankets. When the fertile material captures fast neutrons having high energy escaped from the core, useful fissile materials are produced. At the same time, the fast neutrons are absorbed in the members constituting the reactor core such as the cladding tubes and ducts, thus expelling atoms from such members and/or nuclear-reacting with impurity to create bubbles of helium gas, thereby swelling the material of such members. The life of the fuel in the fast breeder reactor is often limited by bundle-duct interaction (BDI) between the fuel bundle and the corresponding duct and/or duct-duct interaction (DDI) between the adjacent ducts, due to the swelling of material of the core constituting members. Similarly, in some cases, the life of a control rod which forms a part of the structural component constituting the reactor core is limited by the interaction between the absorber rod bundle and the corresponding duct. The degree of the swelling of the core constituting members depends upon fast neutron fluence and/or irradiation temperature with respect to the fuel assemblies. Figure 4 shows the axial distribution of these features (i.e., the fast neutron fluence and irradiation temperature) with respect to the fuel assembly in which the fast neutron fluence of the core in a homogeneous core of electrical rating of 1,000 Mw is maximum. As apparent from Fig. 4, in the vicinity of the axial center of the reactor core where the fast neutron fluence is maximum, a cladding temperature differs from a duct temperature by about 100°C. In the conventional design of the fast breeder reactors, in many cases, the cladding tubes were made of the same material as the ducts. With such construction, the BDI or DDI will occur owing to the difference in the swelling rates between the cladding tubes and ducts due to the difference in the irradiation temperatures between the cladding tubes and the ducts. That is to say, when the temperature at which the swelling rate of the material becomes peak or maximum (i.e., the peak swelling temperature) is in the vicinity of the range of the irradiation temperature of the cladding tube (cladding temperature), the BDI will occur since the swelling of the cladding is larger than that of the duct whose temperature is lower than the cladding. On the other hand, when the peak swelling temperature of the material is in the vicinity of the range of the irradiation temperature of the duct (duct temperature), the BDI will not occur since the swelling of the duct is larger than that of the cladding. But in this latter case, the DDI will occur. In order to reduce the BDI, an improved fuel assembly comprising cladding tubes made of material having relatively small swelling rate and ducts made of material having relatively large swelling rate has been proposed, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-open No. JP.A-57-166591, corresponding to FR-A-25 03 917. With such conventional fuel assembly, the BDI can be reduced or prevented since the swelling of the cladding is smaller than that of the duct. However, in such conventional fuel assembly, since the reduction regarding the swelling of the duct is not devised, when the fuel life is limited by the occurrence of the DDI, it is not expected that the fuel life is extended or increased. A first object of the present invention is to provide structural components for constituting a nuclear reactor core, which can reduce both bundle-duct interaction (BDI) and duct-duct interaction (DDI) simultaneously. A second object of the present invention is to provide a core of a nuclear reactor constituted by such components, which can reduce both the bundle-duct interaction and the duct-duct interaction simultaneously. A third object of the present invention is to provide a method for operating such a nuclear reactor, which can reduce both the bundle-duct interaction and the duct-duct interaction simultaneously. According to the present invention, these objects are accomplished with a structural component, a reactor core, and a method as claimed in claims 1, 9 and 10, respectively. Dependent claims are directed on features of preferred embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fuel assembly used with a fast breeder reactor according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line II-II of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view, in partial section, of a fuel element used in the fuel assembly of Figs. 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a graph showing the axial distribution of fast neutron fluence and the irradiation temperature of the fuel assembly used with the fast breeder reactor according to the present invention; Figure 5 is a graph showing the swelling rate of material used in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of a control rod of the fast breeder reactor according to the present invention; Figure 7 is a sectional view of the control rod taken along the line VII-VII of Fig. 6; Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are horizontal sectional views each showing a fuel assembly, in its sixth portion, used with a fast breeder reactor according to other embodiment of the present invention; Figure 14 is a horizontal sectional view of a core of a fast breeder reactor according to further embodiment of the present invention; Figure 15 is a sectional view taken along the line XV-XV of Fig. 14; Figure 16 is a graph showing temperature distribution of a reactor core, for explaining a principle of a method for operating a reactor, according to the present invention; and Figure 17 is a graph showing temperature distribution of a fuel assembly, for explaining the principle of the method for operating a reactor, according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A core of a fast breeder reactor is constituted by assembling a plurality of fuel assemblies and control rods together. Figures 1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention, where the present invention is applied to such fuel assemblies of the fast breeder reactor core. The fuel assembly of the fast breeder reactor comprises a bundle of cladding tubes 2 each made of titanium added cold worked 316SS material (cold worked 316SS-Ti) and in each of which a fuel pellet 5 comprising mixed oxide of uranium and plutonium is filled, and a duct 1 made of cold worked AISI316 material for enclosing the bundle of the cladding tubes. Incidentally, the reference numeral 3 designates coolant, and 4 designates a wire spacer. The effect of the illustrated embodiment was appreciated or appraised on the basis of an example that the above-mentioned fuel assembly was applied to a core of a fast breeder reactor shown in Figs. 14 and 15. Specification and operating condition of the reactor core and the fuel material are shown in the following table 1. That is to say, thermal rating of the reactor is about 2,600 MW, electrical rating is about 1,000 MW, equivalent core diameter and core height are 330 cm and 100 cm, respectively. Thickness of an axial blanker is 35 cm and thickness of a radial blanket is 30 cm. The operating cycle length is twelve months, and batch factor is three in the core and four in the radial blanket. As to the composition of the fuel material, enrichment of plutonium is about 16% in an inner core 21 and about 20% in an outer core 22. Figure 4 shows the axial distribution of fast neutron fluence and the average used temperature of a fuel assembly having the maximum fast neutron fluence during staying in the reactor core, among the fuel assemblies according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 4, a curve a shows the fast neutron fluence, curve b shows a cladding temperature, and curve c shows a duct temperature. In the core of the fast breeder reactor, since leakage of the neutrons is large in upper and lower ends of the reactor core, the fast neutron fluence becomes maximum in the vicinity of an axial center of the reactor core, as can be understood from the curve a . As seen from Fig. 4, the temperature of the material in the vicinity of the axial center of the reactor core is about 530°C or around, with respect to the cladding tube 2, as can be understood from the curve b , and is about 420°C or around, with respect to the duct 1, as can be understood from the curve c . On the other hand, the temperature dependence of the swelling of the material is as shown in Fig. 5 for a given fast neutron fluence. That is to say, in Fig. 5, a curve d shows the swelling of cold worked AISI316 material, curve e shows the swelling of cold worked 316SS-Ti material, and curve f shows the swelling of OKh 18N9T material. In the cold worked AISI316 material constituting the duct 1, as seen from the curve d , the peak swelling corresponds to a temperature of about 580°C, and the swelling rate is suddenly decreased below such temperature. In the cold worked 316SS-Ti material constituting the cladding tube 2, as seen from the curve e , the peak swelling corresponds to a temperature of about 450°C, and the swelling rate is suddenly decreased above such temperature. In the illustrated embodiment, by using such temperature dependence of the swelling rate of the material, the cladding tubes 2 having the used temperature of about 530°C or around are made of the cold worked 316SS-Ti material, and the ducts 1 having the used temperature of about 420°C or around are made of the cold worked AISI316 material. With this construction, in comparison with the case where both cladding tubes and ducts are made of the cold worked AISI316 material, the maximum value of the swelling of the cladding tubes can be reduced to about 1/2, and the BDI can also be reduced to about 1/2. Further, in comparison with the case where both cladding tubes and ducts are made of the cold worked 316SS-Ti material, the maximum value of the swelling of the ducts can be reduced to about 1/2, and the occurrence of the DDI can be prevented. Further, in comparison with the case where the cladding tubes are made of the 316SS-Ti material having relatively small swelling rate and the ducts are made of OKh 18N9T material having relatively large swelling rate as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 57-166591, the swelling of the ducts can be reduced to about 1/3. Accordingly, since the permissible fast neutron fluence can be increased by about 20% or more if the upper limit of the swelling is registered with the upper limit of the swelling of the conventional reactor, the life of the fuel assembly can be prolonged accordingly. In this way, according to the present invention, the cladding tubes are made of material having the different temperature dependence of the swelling rate from that of the material constituting the ducts, in consideration of the difference in the used temperature between the cladding tubes and the ducts. More particularly, the cladding tubes having the relatively high used temperature are made of material which has a low temperature when the maximum swelling is reached (referred to as "low temperature peak swelling material" hereinafter), and the ducts having the relatively low used temperature are made of material which has a high temperature when the maximum swelling is reached (referred to as "high temperature peak swelling material" hereinafter). With the cladding material including titanium as stabilized element, creep strength of the cladding tube can be increased. With such fuel assembly according to the first embodiment, since the BDI and DDI can be reduced simultaneously, the life of the fuel assembly can be prolonged, and accordingly, the operating or running cost of the reactor can be reduced. Figures 6 and 7 show a second embodiment of the present invention, where the present invention is applied to control rods 9 of a fast breeder reactor. Figure 6 shows a vertical section of the control rod 9, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of Fig. 6. The control rod 9 is constituted by a bundle of cladding tubes 12 covered by a guard tube 11 of the cold worked AISI316 and each made of the cold worked 316SS-Ti and in each of which a neutron absorbing pellet 14 made of boron carbide (B₄C) is filled. The temperature distribution of the control rod is substantially the same as that of fuel assembly, since the neutron absorbing pellet 14 is heated by the neutron irradiation. Accordingly, with such arrangement, in comparison with the conventional case where the cladding tubes 12 and the guard tube 11 are made of the same material, mechanical interaction (bundle-tube interaction) between the cladding tubes 12 and the guard tube 11 can be further reduced, thus increasing the life of the control rod. Further, since a gap can be maintained between the guard tube 11 and a guide tube 13 arranged around the protection tube, the insertion ability of the control rod with respect to the reactor core can be improved or maintained for a long time, thus providing safety operation. Further, in a reactor where the guard tube 11 becomes relatively high temperature and the guide tube 13 is relatively low temperature, by using the low temperature peak swelling material such as the cold worked 316SS-Ti for the guard tube 11 and using the high temperature peak swelling material such as the cold worked AISI316 for the guide tube 13, the insertion ability of the control rod can be improved. Figures 8 to 11 show other embodiments of the present invention, where a material of each of spacers for maintaining a distance between the adjacent cladding tubes 2 is devised, as well as the present invention is applied to a fuel assembly of the fast breeder reactor core constituted by a plurality of fuel assemblies and control rods assembled together as in the first embodiment. Figures 8 and 9 show examples that wire spacers are used. In the case where the temperature of the wire spacer is relatively high near the temperature of the cladding tubes 2, as in a third embodiment shown in Fig. 8, wire spacers 41 made of the low temperature peak swelling material such as the cold worked 316SS-Ti are used. On the other hand, in the case where the temperature of the wire spacer is relatively low near the temperature of the duct 1, as in a fourth embodiment shown in Fig. 9, wire spacers 42 made of the high temperature peak swelling material such as the cold worked AISI316 are used. Also with these arrangements, the effect equivalent to that of the first embodiment can be attained, and the BDI can be further reduced in comparison with the first embodiment. Figures 10 and 11 show examples that grid spacers are used. In these cases, the construction and effect are substantially the same as the above case where the wire spacers are used. In the case where the temperature of the grid spacer is relatively high near the temperature of the cladding tubes 2, as in a fifth embodiment shown in Fig. 10, grid spacers 43 made of the low temperature peak swelling material such as the cold worked 316SS-Ti are used. On the other hand, in the case where the temperature of the grid spacer is relatively low near the temperature of the duct 1, as in a sixth embodiment shown in Fig. 11, grid spacers 44 made of the high temperature peak swelling material such as the cold worked AISI316 are used. Figures 12 and 13 show further embodiment of the present invention, where, although both of the cladding tubes 2 and duct 1 are made of the same low temperature peak swelling material, the temperature of the duct 1 is further increased in comparison with the conventional case, thus reducing the swelling of the duct. In a seventh embodiment shown in Fig. 12, the fuel elements adjacent the duct 1 are constituted by higher enriched fuel material 6 than other fuel elements. With such arrangement, since the temperature of the coolant material flowing coolant paths adjacent the duct 1, the temperature of the duct is also increased. In a eighth embodiment shown in Fig. 13, hollow or solid coolant refusing bars 7 made of the same material as that of the duct 1 are arranged in the coolant paths adjacent the duct. With such arrangement, a total area of the coolant paths adjacent the duct is decreased to reduce the flow rate of the coolant, thus increasing the temperature of the duct 1. In this way, the irradiation temperature of the duct and the cladding tubes can be adjusted, thereby reducing the swelling of the cladding tubes and the duct even if they are made of the same material. Figures 14 and 15 show a ninth embodiment of the present invention, where a core of the fast breeder reactor is constituted by the fuel assemblies 8 shown in either one of the above-mentioned embodiments and the control rods 9 shown in the second embodiment. Also with this arrangement, the lives of the fuel assemblies and control rods could be prolonged, and, it was found that the continuous operating cycle length of the reactor core could be more extended by about 20% and the availability factor could also be more increased by about 2%, in comparison with the conventional arrangement. Incidentally, in Figs. 14 and 15, the reference numerals 23 and 24 designate the radial blankets and axial blankets as mentioned above, respectively. Figures 16 and 17 show a tenth embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment regarding a method for operating the reactor according to the present invention will now be explained with reference to these Figures. Figure 16 is a graph showing distribution feature of the coolant temperature regarding the axial direction of the reactor core, where a curve g shows a coolant temperature. The coolant temperature at the inlet of the reactor is Ti . But, the coolant temperature is being increased while passing through the reactor by cooling the fuel assemblies and the control rods, and is reached to a maximum temperature To at the outlet of the reactor. In the vicinity of the axial center of the reactor core where the fast neutron fluence is high, the coolant temperature substantially equals to arithmetic mean Tm between the above values Ti and To . On the other hand, Fig. 17 shows radial temperature distribution of the fuel assemblies in the vicinity of the axial center of the reactor core. In Fig. 17, a curve b shows the cladding temperature and curve g shows the coolant temperature. That is to say, the average temperature Tc of the cladding tube is higher than the average temperature Tm of the coolant material, and the average temperature Tw of the duct is lower than the average temperature Tm of the coolant material. Accordingly, by selecting a temperature condition so that the average coolant temperature Tm is higher than a temperature at the peak swelling of the material of the cladding tube and is lower than a temperature at the peak swelling of the material of the duct, the swelling of the cladding tubes and ducts can be restrained, thus prolonging the fuel life. In the above embodiments, while the cold worked 316SS-Ti was used as the low temperature peak swelling material and the cold worked AISI316 was used as the high temperature peak swelling material, other combinations of the materials may be used to obtain the same effect. For example, the cold worked 316SS including no titanium may be used as the high temperature peak swelling material as well as the cold worked 316SS-Ti is used as the low temperature peak swelling material, or the none cold worked 316SS may be used as the high temperature peak swelling material as well as the cold worked 316SS-Ti is used as the low temperature peak swelling material, or HT-9 ferrite steel may be used as the low temperature peak swelling material and at the same time D-9 austenite steel may be used as the high temperature peak swelling material. Further, in the above embodiments, while the pellet-shaped mixed oxide of uranium and plutonium was used as the fuel material, boron carbide was used as the material for absorbing the neutrons, sodium (Na) was used as the coolant material and the homogeneous reactor core was used as the core configuration, it should be noted that the present invention is applicable to other fuel materials, neutron absorbing materials, coolant materials and/or core configurations. According to the reactor operating method of the present invention, the continuous operating cycle length of the reactor core can be extended and availability factor of the reactor can also be increased. According to the present invention, since both of the mechanical interactions (BDI and DDI) can be reduced simultaneously, the life of the structural components for constituting the reactor core can be extended, thereby improving the availability factor of the reactor. Further, according to the present invention applied to the control rods, the insertion and withdrawal of the control rods with respect to the reactor core can always be performed smoothly.

Claims: A structural component for constituting a nuclear reactor core comprising a metallic cladding tube (2; 12) swelling under irradiation within which substances heated by the neutron irradiation thereto are filled, and a tubular member (1; 11) swelling under irradiation enclosing a plurality of said cladding tubes (2; 12) therein, characterized in that said cladding tube (2) is made of such a material that the irradiation temperature where the swelling rate of said material due to the neutron irradiation thereto becomes maximum is lower than said irradiation temperature where the swelling rate of the material of said tubular member (1) due to the neutron irradiation thereto becomes maximum. A structural component for constituting a reactor core, according to claim 1, characterized in that the material of said cladding tube (2; 12) comprises a steel to which austenite stabilizing elements are added, and the material of said tubular member (1; 11) comprises a steel to which no stabilizing elements are added. A structural component for constituting a reactor core, according to claim 1, characterized in that the material of said cladding tube (2; 12) comprises ferrite steel, and the material of said tubular member (1; 11) comprises austenite steel. A structural component for constituting a reactor core, according to claim 1, characterized in that said metallic cladding tube (2; 12) is filled with nuclear fuel material comprising fissile material and fertile material as substances heated by the neutron irradiation. A structural component for constituting a reactor core, according to claim 4, characterized in that the enrichment of the fissile material (6) filled within said cladding tubes (2; 12) adjacent said tubular member (1; 11) is increased compared to that of the fissile material (5) filled within said cladding tubes positioned not adjacent said tubular member (1; 11). A structural component for constituting a reactor core, according to claim 5, characterized in that said cladding tube (2; 12) and said tubular member (1; 11) are made of materials of the same kind. A structural component for constituting a reactor core, according to claim 1, characterized in that said metallic cladding tube (12) is filled with nuclear fission reaction controlling material comprising neutron absorbing material (14) as substance heated by the neutron irradiation thereto. A structural component for constituting a reactor core, according to claim 7, characterized in that a guide tube (13) made of material having an irradiation temperature where the swelling rate of the material due to the neutron irradiation becomes maximum and that is higher than that of material of said cladding tube (12) is arranged around said tubular member (11). A core or a nuclear reactor, comprising a plurality of said structural components according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A method for operating a nuclear reactor having metallic tubular members (1; 11) arranged in a core of the reactor and each enclosing a plurality of metallic cladding tubes (2; 12) in each of which substances heated by neutron irradiation thereto and cooled by passing coolant (3) through the reactor core are filled, characterized in that the reactor is operated under a condition such that the average temperature of said cladding tubes (2; 12) is higher than an irradiation temperature that the swelling rate of said cladding material due to neutron irradiation thereto becomes maximum and that the average temperature of said tubular members (1; 11) is lower than an irradiation temperature at which the swelling rate of said tubular material due to neutron irradiation thereto becomes maximum.

Inventors: ISHIDA MASAYOSHI, KURIHARA KUNITOSHI, MASUMI RYOJI, ISHIDA, MASAYOSHI, KURIHARA, KUNITOSHI, MASUMI, RYOJI
Applicants: HITACHI LTD, HITACHI, LTD.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: G21C3
IPC codes: G21C3, G21C7, G21C1, G21C5