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Limits and a World-Wide Status of New Nuclear Installations
Novák, Martin ; Šťastný, Ondřej (referee) ; Katovský, Karel (advisor)
This bachelor´s thesis deals with new nuclear installations from the beginning of nuclear era to the present installations. In the introduction of this thesis are mentioned historical events that led to the current nuclear power engineering. Furthermore, there is summarized the present world-wide state of nuclear energy and its share of the total electrical production. The introduction also contains the basic division of nuclear power plants into generations. Current and past construction of nuclear power plants is divided to the generations with focusing on development and construction of individual nuclear power reactor types. This thesis also characterizes the first nuclear era with evaluation of factors which had influence on development and construction of nuclear power plants in different countries. In next section is a world-wide status of new nuclear installations in comparison with past nuclear installations. The following section contains comparison of age of permanently shutdown reactors and operational reactors with respect to their future replacement. The thesis figures out the possibilities of increasing nuclear power capacity and life extension of nuclear power plants in operation. Furthermore, there is summarization of all projects that are currently in process of construction. This thesis is also focused on analysis of the construction delays of two European nuclear power plants Olkuluoto 3 in Finland and Flamanville 3 in France. Developments in these individual projects are sorted chronologically to the present state with pointing to the cause of delays. The detailed analysis contains the characterization of the main projects participants and their parts in the projects. In the final part of this thesis the author presents a description of construction some other nuclear power plants projects in the world.
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Front and Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Winterová, Radka ; Mastný, Petr (referee) ; Katovský, Karel (advisor)
In this bachelor thesis author deals with the topic of nuclear power fuel cycle and the particular differences that are typical for each nuclear reactor types. The author aims to describe in detail both - the front and especially the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, fuel fabrication for light water nuclear reactors, fuel reprocessing and recycling, and consequently fuel production based on REPU and MOX. Thesis should also get familiar with global approaches to fuel cycle, especially the back end.
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Design of nuclear ceramic materials with enhanced thermal conductivity
Roleček, Jakub ; Katovský, Karel (referee) ; Salamon, David (advisor)
Oxid uraničitý (UO2) je v současnosti nejčastěji používaným materiálem jakožto palivo v komerčních jaderných reaktorech. Největší nevýhodou UO2 je jeho velmi nízká tepelná vodivost, a protože se při štěpení UO2 v jaderném reaktoru vytváří velké množství tepla, vzniká v UO2 peletě velký teplotní gradient. Tento teplotní gradient způsobuje vznik velkého tepelného napětí uvnitř pelety, což následně vede k tvorbě trhlin. Tyto trhliny napomáhají k šíření štěpných plynů při vysoké míře vyhoření paliva. Tvorba trhlin a zvýšený vývin štěpného plynu posléze vede ke značnému snížení odolnosti jaderného paliva. Tato práce se zabývá problematikou zvyšování tepelné vodivosti jaderného paliva na modelu materiálu (CeO2). V této práci jsou studovány podobnosti chování CeO2 a UO2 při konvenčním slinováním a při „spark plasma sintering.“ Způsob jak zvýšit tepelnou vodivost použitý v této práci je včlenění vysoce tepelně vodivého materiálu, karbidu křemíku (SiC), do struktury CeO2 pelet. Od karbidu křemíku je očekáváno, že zvýší tok tepla z jádra pelety, a tím zvýší tepelnou vodivost CeO2. V této práci je také porovnávána podobnost chování SiC v CeO2 matrici s chováním SiC v UO2, které bylo popsáno v literatuře.
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Nuclear Fuel Loading Patterns at VVER Reactor Based Nuclear Power Plants
Šajdler, Miroslav ; Vojáčková, Jitka (referee) ; Katovský, Karel (advisor)
The Master's thesis focuses on loading patterns of nuclear reactors VVER. It describes the whole process of fuel cycle, since production to storage or reprocessing. The author puts emphasise on the middle part of fuel cycle in Czech nuclear power plants - Dukovany and Temelín and he also explains which fuels are used in both power plants now and which were used in history. The thesis also contains a basic overview of approaches to loading patterns optimisation in foreign countries. The final part of the thesis discusses practical calculation of loading patterns in the Block III of Nuclear power plant Dukovany, by using optimisation programme Athena and Moby-Dick macrocode.
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Experimental Investigation of Accelerator Driven Nuclear Reactors for Thorium Based Nuclear Power
Zeman, Miroslav ; ČR,, Milan Štefánik, UJF AV (referee) ; Katovský, Karel (advisor)
The Master Thesis deals with the use of thorium nuclear fuel in accelerator driven systems. Basic principle of ADS, present situation and future possibilities are described in this work. The main goal of the work is determination of neutron flux in spallation target QUINTA. In December 2013, an experiment was performed at Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna. Samples of cobalt, situated at different positions in QUINTA target, were irradiated in secondary neutron field generated by deuteron beam of energies 2 AGeV and 4 AGeV and beam of C-12 with energy 2 AGeV. The samples were measured with the use of germanium semiconductor detectors and analysed using gamma-ray spectrometry. Reaction rates of Co-59 products were determined. Neutron flux was determined in setup QUINTA on the base of experimental reaction rates. Experimental reaction rates were compared with calcula1tion of MCNPX code.
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Ionizing radiation shielding simulation using MCNP code
Konček, Róbert ; Košťál,, Michal (referee) ; Katovský, Karel (advisor)
Radiation is defined as ionizing if it has enough energy to remove electrons from atoms or molecules when it passes through or collides with matter. This ability implies potentially detrimental effects on living tissue. Ionizing radiation shielding is therefore a discipline of great practical importance. The thesis builds upon the author's previous work on the topic and widens the scope of discussion with theoretical and practical issues of advanced shielding calculations. The theoretical part of the thesis describes several approaches to calculating fluence or absorbed dose at an arbitrary point in space. Point-kernel methods provide sufficiently accurate results for simpler shielding problems. In many practical cases, however, calculations based on the transport theory are necessary. There are two basic types of transport calculations: deterministic transport calculations in which the linear Boltzmann equation is solved numerically, and Monte Carlo calculations in which a simulation is made of how particles migrate stochastically through the problem geometry. Advantages and disadvantages of both methods are discussed. In the practical part are the results of radiation shielding calculations performed with a major Monte Carlo code - MCNP6, compared with those obtained in the experiments, which were carried out at the Ionizing Radiation Laboratory at Department of Electrical Power Engeneering, FEEC BUT. The experiments consisted of placing a cobalt-60 radioisotope source at three different positions inside a lead collimator, and counting pulses with two different scintillation detectors positioned in front of the opening of the collimator, alternately with or without lead shield located between the source and the used detector. Agreement of the calculations and the data from the measurements is reasonable, given the inherent uncertainties of the experimental set-up. Performed sensitivity analysis shows relative importances of different parameters used as inputs in simulations, such as densities of materials, or dimensions of the scintillation crystals. Annotated MCNP input files used for simulation are also part of the thesis.
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Simulation of Accelerator Driven Nuclear Reactor for Spent Nuclear Fuel Transmutation
Jarchovský, Petr ; Ing. Antonín Krása, Ph.D., SCK.CEN Mol (referee) ; Katovský, Karel (advisor)
This master’s thesis deals with usage of burn-up (spent) nuclear fuel in nuclear power plants of next generation – accelerator driven transmutation plants which is produced in current nuclear power plants. This system could significantly reduce the volume of dangerous long-lived radioisotopes and moreover they would be able to take advantage of its great energy potential due to fast neutron spectrum. In the introduction are listed basic knowledge and aspects of spent nuclear fuel along with its reprocessing and the possibility of further use while minimizing environmental impact. As another point detailed description of accelerator driven systems is described together with its basic components. In addition this search is followed by individual chronological enumeration of projects of global significance concerning their current development. Emphasis is placed on SAD and MYRRHA projects, which are used like base for calculations. This last, computational part, deals with the creation of the geometry of subcritical transmutation reactor driven by accelerator and subsequent evaluation which assembly is the most effective for transmutation and energy purposes along with changing of target, nuclear fuel and coolant/moderator.
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Nuclear reactor power detectors based on Cherenkov radiation measurement
Čejka, Lukáš ; ČEZ,, Ondřej Zlámal, (referee) ; Katovský, Karel (advisor)
This work deals with the connection between the luminance of Cherenkov radiation in a nuclear reactor and his power. Cherenkov radiation arises when charged particle passing through the medium if their speed is higher than the phase velocity of light in that medium. In water moderated reactors, it is caused by secondary electrons produced by absorption of gamma rays. The measurement is done using the camera and software for photometric luminance measurements. Furthermore, there is mentioned the use of Cerenkov radiation detection to measure burnout of spent nuclear fuel. There are examples of usage of Cherenkov radiation detection to measure of nuclear reactors power, including an analysis of the measured results on research nuclear reactor VR -1. The measured results show increasing intensity of Cherenkov radiation with increasing reactor power, but residual detection response caused by delayed gamma radiation was observed after the rapid decrease of the reactor power. Possible use of detection luminance of Cherenkov radiation is in monitoring unforeseen increase in reactor power or in the control of used fuel.
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Possibilities of thorium utilization in current NPPs
Svoboda, Josef ; Praze, Jan Prehradný, ÚE FS ČVUT v (referee) ; Katovský, Karel (advisor)
Nuclear power plants provide about 11 percent of the world's electricity production. For fission process is uranium fuels used with varying percentage of enrichment 235U for most of nuclear reactors. Uranium reserves are reducing and their mining cost increases. Therefore, the thorium fuel is discussed as revolution fuel for current and future nuclear power plants. This diploma thesis deals with possibility of thorium fuel utilization at various types of nuclear reactors with a focus on light water reactors. The practical part of the thesis is focused on simulation and calculations of various uranium dioxide and thorium dioxide layers at the fuel rods. Model of WWER 440 reactor was developed for the calculations with the addition of thorium fuel. The model simulates burning out of fuel for 5 years, with monitoring of fuel behavior and tracking changes of each material. The thesis tries to define the suitable ratio and parameters of layers combination of uranium and thorium fuel. For these ratios and parameters the thesis tries to give sufficient amount of computational analyzes.
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Analysis of the Most Common Causes of Nuclear Fuel Failures During Operation
Ježek, Martin ; ČEZ,, Ondřej Zlámal, (referee) ; Katovský, Karel (advisor)
Nuclear fuel failures during the reactor operation happen quite often in the world. The theoretical part of this thesis is dedicated to the most common causes of nuclear fuel failures. It describes failure mechanism and corrective actions. The unfavorable trends in nuclear fuel behavior are prevented by suitable method of nuclear fuel monitoring. Some of them may affect the safety of the power plant. For example, the fuel assembly bow affects the function of rod cluster control assembly. Another part, which describes inspection methods, is devoted to inspection and repair of nuclear fuel. The thesis concentrates on the Temelin NPP, where there was implemented post-irradiation inspection program for checking compatibility between Westinghouse's fuel assemblies and water chemistry of reactor VVER. This program continues even after the change of nuclear fuel supplier. Practical part of this thesis is dedicated to proposal of a new method of fuel assembly bow measurement for Temelin NPP based on ultrasound. This proposal is supported by measurement on the experimental device for detection of spacer grid position developed by Research Centre Rez.
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