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Many experimental studies related to the flow-induced acoustic resonance closed side branches have been reported. However, few studies have reported on the effects of air/steam flow and steam wetness dependence on fluctuating pressure amplitude. Therefore, we investigated the effect of air/steam flow and steam wetness dependence on fluctuating pressure amplitude by conducting a high temperature and high pressure tests at the Hitachi Utility Steam Test Leading Facility (HUSTLE). The test section consisted of a main pipe and a side branch. The side branch was mounted on the long straight main pipe. Fluctuating pressures at the end face of the side branches were measured. The following two results were obtained; the first is that the air/steam flow had little effect on the fluctuating pressure amplitude normalized by dynamic pressure and frequency normalized by the resonance frequency; the second is that under the acoustic resonance (St = 0.41) and non-resonance (St = 0.55) conditions, fluctuating pressure a...

In the case of flow-induced acoustic resonance with multiple side branches, the pulsation amplitude may be significantly enhanced compared to the case of a single branch. However, few studies have been presented on the effects of the distance between tandem branches or side branches on fluctuating pressure amplitude. In this study, we carried out several air flow experiments at ordinary temperatures and pressures to investigate the effect of the geometrical and flow parameters on the general acoustic resonance. In the case of a single branch, the dimensionless acoustic pressure amplitude at resonance increases as the cross-sectional ratio of the main and branch pipes is decreased. This is attributed to the acoustic radiation loss from the branch pipe to the main pipe increasing at higher values of the cross-sectional ratio. In the case of coaxial branches, the pressure amplitude shows a counter tendency to that in the case of a single branch. This is because the two branches strongly couple and form a standing wave with negligible radiation losses. In the case of tandem branches, peak pressure and frequency change cyclically as the distance between tandem branches changes.

The boiling water reactors (BWRs) have steam dryer in the upper part of the pressure vessel to remove moisture from the steam. The steam dryer in the Quad Cities Unit 2 nuclear power plant was dama...

We measured improvement of five visual abilities by watching stereoscopic image. Kinetic visual acuity and depth perception were improved by 3.06% and 1.95% respectively compared with un-observing. In eye movement and near point distance, there is not nearly change. However, peripheral vision declined by 3.49%.

The boiling water reactor (BWR-3) steam dryer in the Quad Cities (QC) Unit 2 Nuclear Power Plant was damaged by high-cycle fatigue due to acoustic-induced vibration. The cause of the dryer failure was considered as flow-induced acoustic resonance at the stub pipes of the safety relief valve (SRV) in the main steam lines (MSLs). The acoustic resonance was considered to be generated by the interaction between the sound field and an unstable shear layer across the closed side branches of SRVs. We have started a research program on BWR steam dryers to develop methods of evaluating the loading. Moreover, it is necessary to evaluate the dryer integrity of BWR-5 plants, which are the main type of BWR in Japan. In the present study, we conducted 1/10-scale BWR model tests and analysis to investigate the flowinduced acoustic resonance and acoustic characteristics in MSLs. The test apparatus consisted of a steam dryer, a steam dome, and 4 MSLs with 20 SRV stub pipes. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was ...

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has been widely used for the simulations of the incompressible Navier–Stokes (NS) equations. The finite difference Boltzmann method (FDBM) in which the discrete-velocity Boltzmann equation is solved instead of the lattice Boltzmann equation has also been applied as an alternative method for simulating the incompressible flows. The particle velocities of the FDBM can be selected independently from the lattice configuration. In this paper, taking account of this advantage, we present the discrete velocity Boltzmann equation that has a minimum set of the particle velocities with the lattice Bharnagar–Gross–Krook (BGK) model for the three-dimensional incompressible NS equations. To recover incompressible NS equations, tensors of the particle velocities have to be isotropic up to the fifth rank. Thus, we propose to apply the icosahedral vectors that have 13 degrees of freedom to the particle velocity distributions. Validity of the proposed model (D3Q13BGK) is confirmed by numerical simulations of the shear-wave decay problem and the Taylor–Green vortex problem. With respect to numerical accuracy, computational efficiency and numerical stability, we compare the proposed model with the conventional lattice BGK models (D3Q15, D3Q19 and D3Q27) and the multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) model (D3Q13MRT) that has the same degrees of freedom as our proposal. The comparisons show that the compressibility error of the proposed model is approximately double that of the conventional lattice BGK models, but the computational efficiency of the proposed model is superior to that of the others. The linear stability of the proposed model is also superior to that of the lattice BGK models. However, in non-linear simulations, the proposed model tends to be less stable than the others.

Migration properties characterized by physico-chemical factors such as distribution coefficient (Kd) and diffusion coefficient (De) are of great concern in performance assessment of high-level radioactive waste disposal in a deep geologic environment. These coefficients are normally obtained with different sample geometries using conventional methods, i.e., crushed samples by the batch sorption method for Kd determination and block samples by the through-diffusion method for De. A size dependence on both Kd and De has been reported and an additional correction due to size difference is required to maintain consistency of the data set. A fast method was developed, hereafter referred to as the micro-channel method, to determine both the sorption coefficient (Rd) and De using non-crushed rock sample by adopting the micro-reactor technique. In this method, a radionuclide solution is injected into a micro-channel (20 mm length, 4 mm width, 160 μm depth), which is in contact with a plate-shaped rock sample. A part of the injected radionuclide can diffuse into the rock matrix and/or adsorb on the rock surface and this results in an inlet-outlet concentration difference. A breakthrough curve is easily obtained with a short observation period because the injection amount is extremely small and is comparable to that escaping by diffusion into the matrix. The breakthrough curve is analyzed by a two-dimensional diffusion-advection equation to evaluate Rd and De. In the present study, tritiated water (specific activity, 1.2 × 104 Bq/mL; pH, 6) was injected into the micro-channel, and the breakthrough curve of 3H obtained. A series of experiments was carried out by changing the flow rate of the tritiated water (2.6 × 10−5–7.7 × 10−4 m/s). Rock samples were biotite granite from the Makabe area, Japan. The diffusion coefficient evaluated by least squares fitting to the numerical solutions (De = 1.5 × 10−11 m2/s) agreed well with that obtained by the through-diffusion method (1.3 × 10−11 m2/s). The breakthrough curve of Cs ([Cs] = 1.0 × 10−7 mol/L, pH 6) labeled with 134Cs (specific activity adjusted to 4.9 × 101 Bq/mL) was also obtained. A nearly constant Rd value (5.5 × 10−2 m3/kg) was found when the flow rate was less than 2.5 × 10−4 m/s. This implied that the sorption equilibrium is reached and Kd is obtained by the present method. This value was almost identical to Kd obtained by the batch sorption method (5.0 × 10−2 m3/kg), but the testing period was very different; 1 day and 7 days, respectively. It is concluded that application of the micro-channel method provided advantages when compared with the conventional methods.

Experimental effort to evaluate the barrier performance of geologic disposal requires relatively long testing periods and chemically stable conditions. We have developed a new technique, the micro mock-up method, to present a fast and sensitive method to measure both nuclide diffusivity and sorption coefficient within a day to overcome such disadvantage of the conventional method. In this method, a Teflon plate having a micro channel (10–200 μm depth, 2, 4 mm width) is placed just beneath the rock sample plate, radionuclide solution is injected into the channel with constant rate. The breakthrough curve is being measured until a steady state. The outlet flux in the steady state however does not meet the inlet flux because of the matrix diffusion into the rock body. This inlet–outlet difference is simply related to the effective diffusion coefficient ( D e ) and the distribution coefficient ( K d ) of rock sample. Then, we adopt a fitting procedure to speculate K d and D e values by comparing the observation to the theoretical curve of the two-dimensional diffusion–advection equation. In the present study, we measured D e of 3 H by using both the micro mock-up method and the conventional through-diffusion method for comparison. The obtained values of D e by two different ways for granite sample (Inada area of Japan) were identical: 1.0 × 10 −11 and 9.0 × 10 −12 m 2 /s but the testing period was much different: 10 h and 3 days, respectively. We also measured the breakthrough curve of 85 Sr and the resulting K d and D e agreed well to the previous study obtained by the batch sorption experiments with crushed samples. The experimental evidence and the above advantages reveal that the micro mock-up method based on the microreactor concept is powerful and much advantageous when compared to the conventional method.

Previous plant measurements and scale model tests have demonstrated that intense fluctuating pressure acted on the steam dryer in boiling water reactors (BWRs) at higher velocity flows than in normal operation. The cause of the dryer loading was considered as flow-induced acoustic resonance at the stub pipes of safety relief valves (SRVs) in the main steam lines (MSLs). Acoustic resonance was considered to be generated by the interaction between the sound field and the unstable shear layer across the opening of the side branches of the SRV stub pipes. Some air scale tests have been conducted and they are useful for evaluation of occurrence of acoustic resonance in SRV stub pipes and characteristics of fluctuating pressure in MSLs. However, it is possible that differences in pressure conditions and fluid properties may cause the dryer loading to be underestimated. In the present study, we conducted scale tests under actual steam conditions to evaluate the scale model test methods for BWR dryer loading estimation. The test apparatus consisted of a steam dryer, steam dome and 4 MSLs with 20 SRV stub pipes. We demonstrated that acoustic resonance occurred in the SRV stub pipes and the fluctuating pressure which propagated from the SRVs to the dryer caused fluctuating stress on the steam dryer at the SRV resonance frequency. Acoustic resonance started when Strouhal number decreased below 0.6 in both the scale model air and steam tests. The onset of resonance due to the single vortex mode was not influenced by pressure conditions and fluid properties. The increase of fluctuating pressure due to the double vortex mode which occurred at Strouhal number values from 0.8 to 0.9 could be clearly seen in the scale model steam tests unlike in the air tests. The results showed that the self-excited acoustic resonance was affected by the static pressure and fluid properties for the scale model air tests. However, no significant influence from steam pressure was seen at pressure higher than 3 MPa. Normalized fluctuating pressure was almost the same regardless of pressure. We verified that normalization by dynamic pressure in the main pipe was a reasonable approach for evaluation of fluctuating pressure in the SRV stub pipes. Increase of fluctuating pressure due to the double vortex mode was clearly distinguished in SRV stub pipes but not strong in the MSL pipes and had insignificant impact on the dryer loading.

It has been demonstrated that intense fluctuating pressures acted on the steam dryer in a boiling water reactor (BWR) at higher velocity flows than in normal operation through actual BWR plant tests [1] and scale model air tests [2]. The cause of the dryer loading was considered as flow-induced acoustic resonance at the stub pipes of safety relief valves (SRVs) in the main steam lines (MSLs). Acoustic resonance was considered to be generated by interaction between the sound field and an unstable shear layer across the closed side branches of the SRV stub pipes. We have started a research program on BWR dryers to develop their loading evaluation methods. Some air scale tests were conducted and those are useful for evaluation of occurrence of acoustic resonance in SRV stub pipes and characteristics of fluctuating pressure in MSLs. However, it is a possibility that differences in pressure conditions and fluid proprieties caused the dryer loading to be underestimated. In the present study, we conducted scale tests under actual steam conditions to evaluate the scale model test methods for BWR dryer loading estimation. The Hitachi Utility Steam Test Leading facility (HUSTLE) was used for the scale model steam tests of MSLs and a steam dryer. Steam which was at the same pressure and temperature conditions as an actual BWR was used in the tests. The test apparatus consisted of the steam dryer, steam dome and 4 MSLs with 20 SRV stub pipes. We demonstrated that acoustic resonance occurred in the SRV stub pipes and fluctuating pressure which propagated from the SRVs to the dryer caused fluctuating stress on the steam dryer at the SRV resonance frequency. The increasing of fluctuating pressure due to the double vortex mode which occurred at a Strouhal number (St) from 0.8 to 0.9 could be clearly seen in the scale model steam tests unlike in the air tests. It was possible that self excited acoustic resonance was affected by the low pressure conditions and different fluid proprieties for the scale model air tests. However, no significant influence from steam pressure was seen at more than 3MPa. Normalized fluctuating pressure was almost the same regardless of pressure. We verified that normalization by dynamic pressure in the main pipe was a reasonable approach for evaluation of fluctuating pressure in the SRV stub pipes. Increasing of fluctuating pressure due to the double vortex mode was clearly distinguished for SRV stub pipes but became smaller for MS pipes and had insignificant impact on the dryer loading.

Disposal of high-level radioactive wastes (HLW) is planned to be done in a repository located deep underground to isolate radionuclides from the biosphere. In case of a leakage accident of HLW, there will be no hazardous impact to humans because migration of the leaked radionuclides will be retarded by matrix diffusion and adsorption on the rock surface. Therefore, the geochemical retardation behavior of radionuclides in aquifers must be clarified, from the viewpoint of the performance assessment of HLW deep underground disposal.

During operation, the BWR-3 steam dryer in the Quad Cities Unit 2 Nuclear Power Plant was damaged by high cycle fatigue. The dryer failure was attributed to flow-induced acoustic resonance at the stub pipes of safety relief valves (SRVs) in the main steam lines (MSLs). The acoustic resonance was considered to be generated by interaction between the sound field and an unstable shear layer across the closed side branches with SRV stub pipes. We HITACHI and CRIEPI have started a research program on BWR dryers to develop their loading evaluation methods. Moreover, it has become necessary to evaluate the dryer integrity of BWR-5 plants in particular which are the main type of BWR in Japan. In the present study, we used 1/10-scale BWR tests and analyses to investigate the flow-induced acoustic resonance and characteristics of fluctuating pressure in MSLs. The test apparatus consisted of a steam dryer, a steam dome and 4 MSLs with 20 SRV stub pipes. A finite element method (FEM) was applied for the calculation of three-dimensional wave equations in acoustic analysis. We demonstrated that remarkable fluctuating pressures occurred in high and low frequency regions. Intensity of three peaks observed in the spectrum of fluctuating pressure in MSLs was increased with St. High frequency fluctuating pressures were generated by the flow-induced acoustic resonance in the SRV stub pipes. Low frequency fluctuating pressures were excited by the acoustic resonance in the dead leg. Frequency of fluctuating pressure generating in the SRV stub pipe was changed with St. On the other hand, frequency of fluctuating pressure excited by dead leg was almost constant. Fluctuating pressure in low frequency range increased gradually with flow velocity and its intensity was roughly proportional to the square of flow velocity. The flow-induced acoustic resonance did not occur for St larger than 0.6 in the BWR MSLs for both low and high frequency ranges. Operating conditions of the BWR-5 from 100 to 115% were in the range of St larger than 0.6, so intense acoustic resonance would not occur in the BWR MSLs.Copyright © 2010 by ASME

The boiling water reactor (BWR-3) in the Quad Cities Unit 2 Nuclear Power Plant (QC-2) experienced a significant increase in steam moisture under extended power uprate conditions (EPU). Inspection of the steam dryer showed it was likely to have been damaged by high cycle fatigue carry over, while the cause of the dryer failure was considered as flow-induced acoustic resonance at the stub pipes of safety relief valves (SRVs) in the main steam lines. Acoustic resonance was considered to be generated by interaction between the sound field and unstable shear layers across the closed side branches of the SRV stub pipes. From the dryer failure experience in QC-2, it became apparent that quantitative evaluation of the dryer loading was important for BWRs which were undergoing EPU planning. Acoustic resonance frequency can be evaluated using the geometry of the SRV stub pipes and the speed of sound. To predict the fluctuation pressure, it is necessary to consider a feedback mechanism between unsteady vorticity fluctuation and aerodynamic sound. Although theoretical approaches to sound propagation have been reported, experiments focused on vorticity are quite limited. In this study, in order to clarify this mechanism, a particle image velocimetry system (PIV) is used to visualize the flow field first, and then its effect on the wall pressure fluctuation is estimated by measuring the pressure fluctuation at the top of the stub pipe with a pressure sensor. Vortex growth from the leading edge of the cavity is confirmed and its shedding frequency is close to the frequency of the fluctuating pressure at the top of the stub pipe. Additionally, the pattern of maximum vorticity versus Strouhal number corresponds to the fluctuating pressure at the top of the stub duct. Thus, detected vorticity near the trailing edge of the cavity is the aerodynamic sound source.

The boiling water reactor (BWR-3) in the Quad Cities (QC) Unit 2 Nuclear Power Plant experienced a significant increase in steam moisture under extended power up-rate (EPU) conditions. Inspection of the stem dryer showed it was likely that BWR steam dryer had been damaged by high cycle fatigue due to acoustic-induced vibration. The cause of the dryer failure was considered as flow-induced acoustic resonance at the stub pipes of safety relief valves (SRVs) in the main steam lines (MSLs). Acoustic resonance was considered to be generated by interaction between the sound field and an unstable shear layer across the closed side branches of the SRV stub pipes. We have started a research program on BWR dryers to develop their loading evaluation methods. Moreover, it has been necessary to evaluate the dryer integrity of BWR-5 plants which are the main type of BWR in Japan. In the present study, we used 1/10-scale BWR tests and analysis to investigate the flow-induced acoustic resonance in SRV stub pipes and propagation of fluctuating pressure from SRVs to the dryer through the MSLs. The test apparatus consisted of a steam dryer, a steam dome and 4 MSLs with 20 SRV stub pipes. Acoustic analysis was also applied to evaluate the propagation of fluctuating pressure from MSLs to the dryer. We demonstrated that acoustic resonance occurred in SRV stub pipes at higher velocity flows than in the normal operation and fluctuating pressure propagated from SRVs to the dryer. The amplitude of the fluctuating pressure due to several stub pipes was much larger than that in one stub pipe because of interaction between them. The fluctuating pressure generated in stub pipes was propagated to the dryer through the MSLs with decreasing amplitude. The amplitude of the fluctuating pressure observed at the top of stub pipes was reduced significantly in the MSLs and maintained fairly well in the steam dome. The flow-induced acoustic resonance did not occur for Strouhal number above 0.6 in the MSLs system of the BWR-5. Results of the tests were compared with those of acoustic analysis. The acoustic analysis could well predict the dryer loading.Copyright © 2008 by ASME

Since nuclide migration through rock mediums is an extremely slow process, experimental effort to evaluate the barrier performance of geologic disposal such as the diffusion coefficient (D{sub e}) and the distribution coefficient (K{sub d}) requires relatively long testing periods and chemically stable conditions. We have developed a fast method to determine both D{sub e} and K{sub d} by using a non-crushed rock sample. In this method, a fluoro-plastic plate with a micro channel (10- 200-{mu}m depth) is placed just beneath a rock-sample plate, and a radionuclide solution is injected into the channel at constant rate. A part of radionuclide diffuses into the rock matrix and/or adsorbs on the rock surface. The difference between the inlet and outlet radionuclide flux is simply related to the apparent diffusion coefficient (D{sub a}) of the rock sample. In this study, we estimated K{sub d} of Cs for granite by using the equilibrium model, finding that K{sub d} decreased with increasing flow rate. This dependence of K{sub d} on flow rate implies the state of sorption equilibrium. The adsorption and desorption curves of {sup 134}Cs were thus measured, and the rate constants for both processes were obtained by adopting a first-order rate law. The ratemore » constants of sorption (k{sub +}) and desorption (k{sub -}) were obtained as a function of flow velocity; constant values of both were observed. K{sub d} was calculated from k{sub +}/ k{sub -} and then compared with that determined by conventional batch sorption method using a crushed rock sample. The K{sub d} values determined by the present and conventional methods are in good accordance; however, the testing periods for each method are very different; namely, 1 day and 7 days, respectively. (authors)« less