Yunqing Bai

Design and R&D Progress of China Lead-Based Reactor

Liquid lead or lead-based alloy is a potential candidate coolant for fast reactors and ADS subcritical reactors because of its many unique nuclear, thermal-physical and chemical attributes. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) had launched an engineering project to develop ADS system and lead-based reactors. Series CLEAR reactor conceptual designs were finished, and the preliminary engineering design for the China Lead-based research reactor (CLEAR-I) was underway. The key components prototypes for engineering validation including the control rod drive system, refueling system, fuel assembly have been constructed, the validation experiment are carrying out. KYLIN series PbBi experimental loops has already been built to perform structure material corrosion experiment, thermal-hydraulics experiment and safety experiment for CLEAR series reactors. The highly intensified neutron generator HINEG will be constructed to take the benchmark experiment of neutronics simulation codes. In this paper, the design and R&D progress are presented.Copyright

Preliminary safety analysis for the Chinese ITER Dual Functional Lithium–Lead Test Blanket Module

Safety analysis is part of the ITER Test Blanket Module (TBM) design process ensuring that the TBM does not adversely affect the safety of ITER. To get the licence for TBM as a whole with ITER, relevant safety analysis is required for each TBM system proposed by each party. The safety analysis for the Chinese Dual Functional Lithium–Lead Test Blanket Module (DFLL-TBM) has been performed based on the latest DFLL-TBM design. In this paper, the following safety considerations, such as source terms, operational releases, accident sequence analyses and waste assessment, were analysed. Both the deterministic approach and the complementary systematic approach starting with failure mode and effects analysis studies were adopted in the accidental analysis. The preliminary results showed that the DFLL-TBM system at normal operating conditions and under accident scenarios did not add additional safety hazards to the ITER machine and could meet the ITER safety requirements and additional safety requirements for the TBM system.

Analysis and Simulation of a Gripper for Fuel Handling on China Lead-Based Research Reactor

Abstract The China lead-based research reactor (CLEAR-I) with 10 MW(thermal) will be built for the research of the accelerator-driven subcritical system (ADS) and lead-cooled fast reactor technology. Compared with other reactors, ADS has a spallation target placed in the reactor core center, which affects the refueling motion in the vessel. It is difficult to reach the fuel assemblies near the proton beam tube through the common vertical refueling gripper. In this technical note, a new cantilever-type and internal grasping gripper with defined refueling process was designed to handle all assemblies in CLEAR-I. The static and kinematics analyses of the gripper were carried out by ANSYS Workbench and MATLAB considering the influence of working in air and liquid metal. The structural and kinematic simulation results show that the design of the gripper is feasible for CLEAR-I. It provides an advanced refueling solution for the technical validation of ADS.

Influence of Coolant 6Li Concentration on the Neutronic Parameters of Lithium-Cooled Reactor

Abstract Lithium is an attractive coolant for space nuclear reactors due to its good thermal properties and low density. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of coolant 6Li concentration on the neutronic parameters of the lithium-cooled space reactor, with the aim to provide an appropriate reference for the purification of lithium coolant and the safety of the lithium-cooled space reactor. The neutronic calculations based on the lithium-cooled reactor are performed using the SuperMC code with the ENDF/B-VII cross-section database. The effects of coolant 6Li concentration were studied over the range of 0 to 8.5 at. % as well as the corresponding effects on the depletion, helium production, neutron spectrum, and temperature reactivity coefficient. The results show that the 6Li concentration of 0.01 at. % in the lithium coolant is appropriate in the lithium-cooled reactor. In this case, the neutronic parameters including the depletion, helium production, and neutron spectrum showed no obvious change compared to that of the pure 7Li, and the coolant reactivity coefficient has a negative effect on reactivity.