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Quality is key: Investing in advanced nuclear research for tomorrow’s grid
As the energy sector faces mounting pressure to grow at an unprecedented pace while maintaining reliability and affordability, nuclear technology remains an essential component of the long-term solution. Southern Company stands out among U.S. utilities for its proactive role in shaping these next-generation systems—not just as a future customer, but as a hands-on innovator.
Yuchuan Guo, Guanbo Wang, Dazhi Qian, Heng Yu, Bo Hu, Xiangmiao Mi, Simao Guo
Nuclear Technology | Volume 204 | Number 1 | October 2018 | Pages 15-24
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2018.1469345
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A flow blockage analysis model of a single channel is established using the best-estimate code RELAP5/MOD3.4. The reactor core is divided into seven hot channels, one average channel, one bypass channel, and corresponding fuel plates to take into account the interaction between the obstructed channel and adjacent channels. The coolant system is also modeled in detail to perform a better estimation. As a typical pool-type research reactor, JRR-3M is chosen for the analysis. The results indicate that the model can effectively simulate a single-channel blockage accident using the RELAP5/MOD3.4 code. Also, the thermal-hydraulic parameters in the blocked channel would be significantly affected if bubbles are generated as the blockage ratio continues to increase, which may damage the integrity of the fuel plate. Meanwhile, as for flow blockage of a single channel, the effect on adjacent channels is limited, even under high-blockage-ratio conditions.