Simulated Spent Fuel Tank for Thermal Testing and Operator Training
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spent fuel storage systems face challenges in thermal performance verification, operational process qualification, and operator skills training due to limitations in numerical simulations, structural discretization, and lack of physical tests, leading to safety risks during storage and handling operations.
Innovation Solution
A simulated spent fuel storage tank with detailed components like a simulated storage tank, electric heater, and specific structural features for thermal simulation and operational training, including a simulated spent fuel grid, siphon and inflatable blocks, and cable penetrators, allowing for realistic thermal performance appraisal and operational training under actual conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If numerical simulation analysis is used to verify thermal performance, then calculation convenience and speed are improved, but accuracy and reliability deteriorate due to simplification of boundary conditions and material properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a physical replica (simulated spent fuel storage tank) that copies the essential thermal characteristics of the actual storage tank. This physical model allows direct measurement of thermal performance without the simplifications inherent in numerical simulations, thereby improving measurement precision while maintaining the ability to conduct rapid testing through physical experimentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces numerical simulation (computational method) with a physical model system that can be directly measured. By substituting the computational approach with a tangible physical replica equipped with temperature sensors and heating elements, the system enables direct observation and measurement of thermal behavior, eliminating the accuracy compromises of simplified numerical models.
2Measurement precision
If physical thermal performance tests are conducted to verify reliability, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the actual spent fuel storage tank into a scaled-down physical model that replicates only the essential thermal characteristics. This segmentation allows the complex thermal performance verification to be conducted on a smaller, more manageable model system, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision through proportional representation of key components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the scale and specific parameters of the test system by creating a simulated tank with proportional dimensions and thermal characteristics. By adjusting parameters such as size, heating power, and instrumentation density to match the original tank's thermal behavior, the system achieves accurate measurements while reducing overall complexity and cost compared to testing the full-scale actual tank.
3Reliability
If welding and vacuum drying operations are performed on actual storage tanks, then operational reliability is improved, but safety risks increase due to lack of training and procedural errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a physical copy (simulated storage tank) that replicates the operational characteristics and hazards of the actual storage tank. This copy can be used for training operations such as welding and vacuum drying without exposing operators to the full safety risks associated with actual spent fuel storage tanks, thereby improving operational reliability through training while reducing safety hazards.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides a safe training environment that cushions operators against potential hazards by using a simulated tank instead of an actual one. The simulated tank is designed to replicate operational procedures and thermal characteristics while eliminating the severe safety risks (radiation, high temperature, pressure) associated with real spent fuel storage tanks, thus protecting operators before they perform operations on actual equipment.
4Ease of operation
If spent fuel storage tanks are used for skills training, then operator training effectiveness is improved, but equipment availability for actual storage operations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the training function from actual storage operations by creating a separate simulated storage tank dedicated to training purposes. This segmentation allows the actual storage tanks to remain available for operational use while the simulated tank provides training capabilities, eliminating the conflict between training needs and operational availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional system where the simulated storage tank serves exclusively for training operations, while actual storage tanks remain dedicated to storage and operational functions. This functional separation allows both training effectiveness and storage operation capacity to be maximized simultaneously, as each system is optimized for its specific purpose without interfering with the other.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The simulated tank accurately simulates thermal performance and operational processes, enhancing operator skills and preventing safety incidents by providing a realistic training environment for vacuum drying, welding, cutting, and retrieval operations.
Implementation Method 1
an electric heater, wherein the simulated spent fuel assemblies are electrically connected to the electric heater (3) by cables
Implementation Method 2
a siphon block and a inflatable block at two sides of the cylinder body are inserted in the two bolting grooves respectively
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present invention provides a simulated spent fuel storage tank for nuclear power station including a simulated storage tank, simulated spent fuel assemblies received in the simulated storage tank, and an electric heater, wherein the simulated spent fuel assemblies are electrically connected to the electric heater via cables. The simulated spent fuel storage tank for nuclear power station of the present invention can be used for thermal property identification and operation training test. The arrangement state and the thermal power of the spent fuel assemblies can be precisely simulated according to the actual loading and storage quantity and the heat release quantity of the spent fuel assemblies, and the thermal property identification of the spent fuel storage tank is achieved. The simulated spent fuel storage tank for nuclear power station of the present invention can also be used to simulate vacuum drying, automatic welding, and cutting and retrieval operations in a real heating environment, to simulate a real spent fuel assembly load in order to perform storage tank transfer and storage operations, such that the skill level of operators can be improved, thereby preventing the occurrence of incidents caused by human factors.