The sensitivity of parameters related with reactor physics on the source terms of decommissioning wastes from a CANDU reactor was investigated in order to find a viable, simplified burned core model of a Monte Carlo simulation for decommissioning waste characterization. First, a sensitivity study was performed for the level of nuclide consideration in an irradiated fuel and implicit geometry modeling, the effects of side structural components of the core, and structural supporters for reactive devices. The overall effects for computation memory, calculation time, and accuracy were then investigated with a full-core model. From the results, it was revealed that the level of nuclide consideration and geometry homogenization are not important factors when the ratio of macroscopic neutron absorption cross section (MNAC) relative to a total value exceeded 0.95. The most important factor affecting the neutron flux of the pressure tube was shown to be the structural supporters for reactivity devices, showing an 10% difference. Finally, it was concluded that a bundle-average homogeneous model considering a MNAC of 0.95, which is the simplest model in this study, could be a viable approximate model, with about 25% lower computation memory, 40% faster simulation time, and reasonable engineering accuracy compared with a model with an explicit geometry employing an MNAC of 0.99.
An experimental study was performed to investigate the characteristics of two different combustion instability modes in a swirl-stabilized combustor. The first is the eigenfrequency corresponding to the half-wave of the combustion chamber section, and the second is the quarter-wave eigenmode of the inlet mixing section. The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of the swirl number on each combustion instability mode and analyze their generalized characteristics. Premixed gases composed of hydrocarbon fuels (C2H4 and CH4) and air were burned by independently varying the experimental conditions. Three dynamic pressure transducers and a photomultiplier tube were installed to detect pressure oscillations and heat release fluctuations in the inlet and combustion chamber sections, respectively. A high-speed camera was used to capture the instantaneous flame structures. In the swirl-stabilized combustor, the bands of the dominant frequencies were strongly dependent on the swirl number of the swirler vane. When the swirl number was low, the entire combustion system was often coupled with the quarter-wave eigenmode of the inlet mixing section. However, as the swirl number increased, the combustion instability mode was almost independent of the mixing section acoustics. Analysis of the phase difference and flame structure clearly demonstrated the differences between each eigenmode. The results provide new insights into the effect of the resonance mode in the inlet mixing section on combustion instability, depending on the swirl number in the swirl-stabilized combustor.
An experimental study was performed to investigate the combustion instability characteristics of swirl-stabilized combustors. A premixed gas composed of ethylene and air was burned under various flow and geometric conditions. Experiments were conducted by changing the inlet mean velocity, equivalence ratio, swirler vane angle, and combustor length. Two dynamic pressure sensors, a hot-wire anemometer, and a photomultiplier tube were installed to detect the pressure oscillations, velocity perturbations, and heat release fluctuations in the inlet and combustion chambers, respectively. An ICCD camera was used to capture the time-averaged flame structure. The objective was to understand the relationship between combustion instability and the Rayleigh criterion/the flame structure. When combustion instability occurred, the pressure oscillations were in-phase with the heat release oscillations. Even if the Rayleigh criterion between the pressure and heat release oscillations was satisfied, stable combustion with low pressure fluctuations was possible. This was explained by analyzing the dynamic flow and combustion data. The root-mean-square value of the heat release fluctuations was observed to predict the combustion instability region better than that of the inlet velocity fluctuations. The bifurcation of the flame structure was a necessary condition for combustion instability in this combustor. The results shed new insight into combustion instability in swirl-stabilized combustors.
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