Time-fractional telegraph equation for hydrogen diffusion during severe accident in BWRs

The aim of this work is to study the behavior of heat and mass transfer during hydrogen generation in the core of the boiling water reactor (BWR). The core of the BWR is a system highly heterogeneous where the transport processes are complex. The core is considered as an average channel of the fuel...

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Main Authors: R.-I. Cázares-Ramírez, G. Espinosa-Paredes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2016-01-01
Series:Journal of King Saud University: Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1018364715000786
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author R.-I. Cázares-Ramírez
G. Espinosa-Paredes
author_facet R.-I. Cázares-Ramírez
G. Espinosa-Paredes
author_sort R.-I. Cázares-Ramírez
collection DOAJ
description The aim of this work is to study the behavior of heat and mass transfer during hydrogen generation in the core of the boiling water reactor (BWR). The core of the BWR is a system highly heterogeneous where the transport processes are complex. The core is considered as an average channel of the fuel assembly, which consists of arrays of in-line fuel rod. This study considers diffusion and reaction due to generation of hydrogen during severe accident in a nuclear power plant with reactor type BWR. The temperature distribution in the nuclear fuel is obtained with a normal diffusion model, whereas that of the distribution of the hydrogen concentration is obtained with a time-fractional telegraph equation (TFTE). The TFTE allows consider the anomalous diffusion processes (non-Fickian effects), which govern the transport in heterogeneous systems. The numerical experiments were performance in an averaging channel that represents a core reactor with the fuel rod with its gap and cladding and cooling steam, in order to establish the importance of the effects of hydrogen diffusion in a severe accident scenario. The initial conditions of this scenario correspond to 100% of rated power, with scram of the reactor, and without cooling flow. The temperature of the fuel is incremented due to decay heat, and due to lack of cooling the fuel temperature increases, which eventually causes fuel cladding oxidation and hydrogen generation. The hydrogen concentration results in a reaction due to oxidation for different values of fractional coefficient, at t=0 and short times were obtained. The physical meaning is discussed when the fractional coefficient tends to a value of 1 and when it tends to a value of 0.5, i.e., within the limits of validity of the fractional model proposed. According to the results obtained the hydrogen concentration is inversely proportional to the fractional coefficient. These results are relevant for decision making in terms of risk analysis in nuclear power plant with BWR.
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spelling doaj.art-fc08c2018ae64532b04a0c22f372b08b2022-12-21T18:11:26ZengElsevierJournal of King Saud University: Science1018-36472016-01-01281212810.1016/j.jksus.2015.09.002Time-fractional telegraph equation for hydrogen diffusion during severe accident in BWRsR.-I. Cázares-Ramírez0G. Espinosa-Paredes1División de Ciencias Básica e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, México D.F. 09340, MexicoDivisión de Ciencias Básica e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, México D.F. 09340, MexicoThe aim of this work is to study the behavior of heat and mass transfer during hydrogen generation in the core of the boiling water reactor (BWR). The core of the BWR is a system highly heterogeneous where the transport processes are complex. The core is considered as an average channel of the fuel assembly, which consists of arrays of in-line fuel rod. This study considers diffusion and reaction due to generation of hydrogen during severe accident in a nuclear power plant with reactor type BWR. The temperature distribution in the nuclear fuel is obtained with a normal diffusion model, whereas that of the distribution of the hydrogen concentration is obtained with a time-fractional telegraph equation (TFTE). The TFTE allows consider the anomalous diffusion processes (non-Fickian effects), which govern the transport in heterogeneous systems. The numerical experiments were performance in an averaging channel that represents a core reactor with the fuel rod with its gap and cladding and cooling steam, in order to establish the importance of the effects of hydrogen diffusion in a severe accident scenario. The initial conditions of this scenario correspond to 100% of rated power, with scram of the reactor, and without cooling flow. The temperature of the fuel is incremented due to decay heat, and due to lack of cooling the fuel temperature increases, which eventually causes fuel cladding oxidation and hydrogen generation. The hydrogen concentration results in a reaction due to oxidation for different values of fractional coefficient, at t=0 and short times were obtained. The physical meaning is discussed when the fractional coefficient tends to a value of 1 and when it tends to a value of 0.5, i.e., within the limits of validity of the fractional model proposed. According to the results obtained the hydrogen concentration is inversely proportional to the fractional coefficient. These results are relevant for decision making in terms of risk analysis in nuclear power plant with BWR.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1018364715000786Fractional mass transportHydrogen generationSevere accidentZircaloy oxidationDecay heatReactor BWR
spellingShingle R.-I. Cázares-Ramírez
G. Espinosa-Paredes
Time-fractional telegraph equation for hydrogen diffusion during severe accident in BWRs
Journal of King Saud University: Science
Fractional mass transport
Hydrogen generation
Severe accident
Zircaloy oxidation
Decay heat
Reactor BWR
title Time-fractional telegraph equation for hydrogen diffusion during severe accident in BWRs
title_full Time-fractional telegraph equation for hydrogen diffusion during severe accident in BWRs
title_fullStr Time-fractional telegraph equation for hydrogen diffusion during severe accident in BWRs
title_full_unstemmed Time-fractional telegraph equation for hydrogen diffusion during severe accident in BWRs
title_short Time-fractional telegraph equation for hydrogen diffusion during severe accident in BWRs
title_sort time fractional telegraph equation for hydrogen diffusion during severe accident in bwrs
topic Fractional mass transport
Hydrogen generation
Severe accident
Zircaloy oxidation
Decay heat
Reactor BWR
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1018364715000786
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