Abstracts - VGB PowerTech Journal 5/2014

Outage planning in nuclear power plants – a paradigm shift from an external towards an integrated project planning tool

Andreas Rosemann

Latest demands on nuclear plant inspections are the ongoing actualisation of the outage plan on the basis of the current work progress and cur­rent events as well as the permanent access to the current planning status and work process of all people involved in the outage. Modern EAM systems (EAM: Enterprise Application Manage­ment) made up ground on established project planning tools with regard to functionalities for scheduling work orders. A shift towards an in­tegrated planning in the EAM system increases the efficiency in the outage planning and im­proves the communication of current states of planning.

Passive BWR integral LOCA testing at the Karlstein test facility INKA

Robert Drescher, Thomas Wagner and Stephan Leyer

KERENA is an innovative AREVA GmbH boiling water reactor (BWR) with passive safety systems (Generation III+). In order to verify the func­tionality of the reactor design an experimental validation programme was executed. Therefore the INKA (Integral Teststand Karlstein) test facility was designed and erected. It is a mockup of the BWR containment with integrated pres­sure suppression system. In March 2013 the first integral test – Main Steam Line Break (MSLB) – was executed. The main target was to demon­strate the ability of the passive systems to en­sure core coverage, decay heat removal and to maintain the containment within defined limits. The results of the test showed that the passive safety systems are capable to bring the plant to stable conditions meeting all required safety targets with sufficient margins.

Hot resin supercompaction – the development through the years

Henning Fehrmann

Hot Resin Supercompaction (HRSC) is a thermal treatment for residues applied in a number of nuclear power plants. A first HSC plant was taken into operation in the mid-1990s. It is characteristic for the HRSC process that it produces completely anhydrous products, reduced in volume and pellets which are qualified for final storage. In the course of its development, the HRSC process was adjusted to further technical requirements. The process is still being applied successfully in plants that are in operation and it is an option for the post-operation and decom­missioning phase.

Neutron measurement method for the detection of transuranic elements in the nuclear fuel cycle

Marina Sokcic-Kostic and Roland Schultheis

By handling and storing burned-down fuel elements operators are obliged to measure the existing nuclear fuel content. Due to high penetration of matter and its origin from decay or spontaneous fission of transuranic elements neutron verification methods are suited best for the proof of fission material as long as it has been burned-down beforehand. A highly improved measuring quality can be achieved by comparing measurement results with the re­sults of computer-aided simulations such as e.g. burn-up programs or MCNP- calculations.

Use of an ultrafiltration system in the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant for the treatment of nuclear process water

Udo Krumpholz, Carsten George and Jörg Berger

Over the years, membrane filtration systems have successfully been used in conventional water treatment systems. The use of an ultrafiltration system has proven effective in the treat­ment of particle contaminated process water. In 2012 an ultrafiltration system was designed, installed and commissioned for the treatment of particle contaminated backwash and transport water from the condensate polishing system in the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant, units B and C. Performance data surpass the client’s requirements with respect to permeate quality, flow-rate and backwash behaviour. The technol­ogy applied has proven well.

Contradictions or even arbitrariness in nuclear disaster control?
Recommendations from the Commission for Radiation Protection on the planning-zones for emergency management

Jan Pauly

At the beginning of 2014 the German Commis­sion on Radiological Protection (SSK) has issued recommendations for the planning-zones for civil protection around German nuclear power plants. The SSK recommends a significant ex­pansion of the planning areas (to quadruplicate up to sextuple) which relies on an assumption of radionuclide release similar to that of Fuku­shima. However, a scientific and technical rea­son for the now necessar y inclusion of such release for the civil protection planning has not yet been provided by the SSK. Due to in-depth scientific-technical considerations, German nu­clear disaster control should not be based on the SSK recommendations. Besides, any measures should be harmonised with the neighbouring countries and within the EU member states.

Experimental investigations at the GENEVA passive residual heat removal test facility

Tim Cloppenborg, Christoph Schuster and Antonio Hurtado

Phenomena of heat transfer system at low driving forces – mainly the transition zone between single phase and two phase heat transfer – is of high interest for several technical applications. Passive safety systems of advanced nuclear reactor concepts and operation of concentrated solar power systems are only two examples. The GENEVA natural circulation test facility was es­tablished for generic investigations of thermo­hydraulic impact factors on natural circulation residual heat removal systems at the Professor­ship of Hydrogen- and Nuclear Energy Technol­ogy, TU Dresden in 2013.

The new generation of highly-flexible combined cycle power plants taking the “Fortuna” power plant as an example

Martin Giehl and Olaf Kreyenburg

The combination of heat and power genera­tion with excellent site conditions is the main prerequisite for the successful construction and operation of a new combined cycle power plant against the background of the current German market situation. This target is supported by subsidising combined heat and power in order to double its share of power supply from to­day’s 12 % by 2020 in Germany. Cutting-edge solutions are required to ensure affordable, sustainable and reliable energy supply in an in­creasingly volatile market. The “Fortuna” power plant in Düsseldorf is a landmark of future en­ergy supply.

Use of compact turbines and alternative concepts for run-off river power plants

Herfried Harreiter

Despite the enormous growth in wind power, biomass and photovoltaic, hydro power is still the most important renewable energy source not only in Europe but also on a global scale. Although the hydropower potential in many European countries has already been largely de­veloped, there is still a remaining potential. But there are still a variety of challenges that can only be met with innovative and novel concepts. Recent developments in compact turbines and alternative concepts in river power plants based on practical examples in Austria, Germany and Albania are being presented with a focus on the worldwide largest HYDROMATRIX™ plant in Ashta/Albania.

Operating experience with nuclear power plants 2013

The VGB Technical Committee “Nuclear Plant Operation” has been exchanging operating experience about nuclear power plants for more than 30 years. Plant operators from sev­eral European countries are participating in the exchange. A report is given on the operat­ing results achieved in 2013, events important to plant safety, special and relevant repair, and retrofit measures from Belgium, Germany, Fin-land, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Spain.