Damage Evaluations for BWR Lower Head in Severe Accident Based on Multi-Physics Simulations

Abstract

To assess rupture behavior of the lower head of reactor pressure vessel in boiling-water-type nuclear power plants due to severe accident like Fukushima Daiichi, we have been developing an analysis method based on coupled analysis of three-dimensional multi-physics simulations composed of radiation transport, thermal-hydraulics (TH) and thermal-elastic-plastic-creep analyses. In this simulation, Monte Carlo radiation transport calculation is firstly performed by using PHITS code to compute proton dose distribution considering molten conditions of core materials. Then the deposit energies at each location is imported into TH analysis code ANSYS Fluent with the same geometry and temperature distribution is simulated by thermal-fluid dynamics. Finally, temperature distribution obtained from TH analysis is applied to thermal-elastic-plastic-creep analyses using FINAS-STAR and then damage evaluation is carried out based on several criterions such as Kachanov, Larson-Miller-parameter, melting point. To conduct such analyses, we also have continued to obtain experimental data on creep deformation in high temperature range. In this study, to predict time and location of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) lower head rupture of boiling water reactors (BWRs) considering creep damage mechanisms, we performed creep damage evaluations based on developing analysis method by using detailed three-dimensional model of RPV lower head with control rod guide tubes, stub tubes and welds. From the detailed analysis results, it was concluded that failure regions of BWR lower head are only the control rod guide tubes or stub tubes under simulated conditions.