Experimental study on combustion and suppression characteristics of sodium fire in a columnar flow using extinguishing powder

In the operation of the sodium-cooled fast reactor, the leakage and fire accident of liquid sodium is common and it is frequent in sodium-related facilities. This study focuses on the combustion and suppression characteristics of sodium fire in a columnar flow. Liquid sodium (250 °C) is injected into a 7.9 m³ cylindrical chamber at a flow rate of about 1.0 m³/h to create a columnar sodium fire, and 18.4 kg class D extinguishing powder is sprayed after the liquid sodium injection. The temperature in the chamber space and sodium collection plate and the heat release rate from sodium fire are measured and analyzed. Based on the temperature data the sodium fire under suppression could be divided into four phases of dropping sharply, continuously remaining lower, rising and declining mildly, and depressing. The sodium fire in the space could be suppressed and cooled down if the extinguishing agent could spray in the early period of the liquid sodium injection. The extinguishing agent could suppress the combustion and spreading of liquid sodium dropping on the collection plate, limit the pool combustion area and postpone the commencement of sodium pool burning in spite of its later re-ignition happening. This study promises to evaluate the combustion and suppression characteristics of sodium fire in the sodium-related facilities.     

Experimental study on characteristics of sodium fire in a columnar flow with discontinuous injections

In the operation of the sodium-cooled fast reactor, the accident caused by the leakage and combustion of liquid sodium is common and frequent in sodium-related facilities. In this paper, an experiment Harbin Engineering University-Sodium Columnar Fire 4 (HEU-SCF4) is carried out to focus on the combustion characteristics in a discontinuous columnar flow. Liquid sodium (250°C) with the flux of about 1.0 m³/h was injected into a 7.9 m³ stainless steel cylindrical test chamber twice to shape the sodium fire in a columnar flow with discontinuous injections. The temperature, pressure data, and heat release rate in the test chamber were acquired and analyzed. It is found that each injection would cause a peak of space temperature, and it takes much shorter time to reach temperature peak in the second injection than the first injection. The peaks of pressure and heat release rate caused by the second injection are much higher than those caused by the first injection. This study is promising to evaluate the combustion characteristics of sodium fire in a columnar flow with different injection forms in the sodium-related facilities.     

Experimental study on sodium droplet combustion and spatial temperature distribution characteristics

In the operation of the sodium-cooled fast reactor, the accident caused by the leakage and combustion of liquid sodium is common and frequent. In this paper, the combustion and spatial temperature distribution characteristics at the different distances from the center of droplet and the different angles (0–30°) were studied by carrying out the experiments of the oxidation and combustion under initial temperatures (200–350°C) of sodium droplet, oxygen concentrations (12–21%) and ambient atmosphere temperatures (80°C and 180°C). The experiment results show that the ambient atmosphere temperature cannot change the three stages (surface oxidation, preignition, and combustion) of sodium droplet combustion but it will change the characteristics of every stage. When the temperature of sodium droplet excesses the characteristic temperature (600°C), the temperatures of all spatial measuring points begin to rise noticeably. The peak temperature of the sodium droplet that completely burned could roughly reach 580–1000°C. The distributions of the spatial maximum temperature in three angle directions are in conformity with exponential function as the distance increases. The study provides the technical support on the evaluation and analysis of various forms of sodium fire accidents.     

Description of Aerosol Release Associated with Sodium Burning

Incipient temperatures of sodium oxidation, sodium oxide aerosol release and sodium ignition were observed in relation with oxygen concentration in supplying gas by a thermobalance method. On this results, a burning rate and an aerosol release fraction were determined by burning about 0.5 g of sodium samples on a crucible in a burn tube under conditions ranging 400 to 600°C in sodium temperature, 0.1 to 1.0 Nl/min in the supplying gas flow rate and 2.5 to 20v/0 in the oxygen concentration.

Particle sizes of sodium aerosols released from the samples made a log-normal distribution, of which mass median diameter ranged from 0.6 to 2.0 μm. The burning rate increased with the increases of the sodium temperature, of the gas flow rate and of the oxygen concentration, and the aerosol release fraction also increased in proportion to the burning rate at fixed oxygen concentrations. It was found that the aerosol release rate defined as a product of the burning rate and the aerosol release fraction describes fairly well not only the present experimental data but also reported ones.     

雾状钠火钠滴燃烧比率的模拟及应用

将雾状钠火中钠滴的燃烧分成预燃阶段和燃烧阶段,利用雾状钠火程序计算得到钠滴燃烧比率和时间的关系曲线,分别用幂函数、指数函数和线性函数对曲线进行拟合,拟合效果较好。拟合函数中包含钠滴下落时间和钠滴最大燃烧比率等参数,这些参数可通过钠滴下落燃烧试验或雾状钠火程序计算得到。通过推导得到了雾状钠火燃烧和单个钠滴燃烧的关系,钠滴燃烧比率的拟合函数被用来模拟雾状钠火燃烧的过程,包括用于计算已燃烧的钠质量、空气中未燃烧的钠质量、进入钠池的钠质量和雾状钠火的燃烧速率。当雾状钠火燃烧过程中钠泄漏流量恒定不变时,空气中未燃烧的钠质量和钠泄漏流量呈正比,雾状钠火的燃烧速率和钠泄漏流量呈正比。雾状钠火的燃烧速率和钠火造成的事故工艺间内的温度与压力变化直接相关。雾状钠火的燃烧速率被用来求解钠气溶胶的生成速率、钠燃烧火焰层和空气之间的传热、钠燃烧火焰层和墙壁之间的传热。总之,使用简单的函数模拟钠滴的燃烧比率曲线,将雾状钠火燃烧当成事故工艺间的热源和钠气溶胶源作为输入,便可模拟雾状钠火的整个燃烧过程,计算得到工艺间温度、压力和钠气溶胶浓度的变化。钠滴的燃烧比率曲线、雾状钠火的燃烧速率曲线还可与试验数据进行对比验证后作为雾状钠火模拟的输入,这种模拟方法可用于钠火事故安全分析中雾状钠火的模拟。     

A study on sodium spray combustion

Sodium spray combustion was studied through experiments and analysis, in order to clarify the burning rate, pressure and temperature transients in a sodium spray fire. In the experiments, about 400 g sodium was sprayed in a closed vessel of 2 m³, containing nitrogen and 0–21 vol% oxygen. Pressure, temperature and oxygen concentration were measured during and after sodium injection. The experimental results revealed that the temperature in the spray outer region was higher than that of inner region and observed oxygen consumption was not more than 80% of that expected for complete combustion of sodium. To analyze the experiments, a computer program SOFIA-II was developed based on an analytical single droplet combustion model and a two-dimensional temperature and oxygen concentration distribution model in the vessel. The calculated pressure agreed with the experimental pressure on the whole and the peak pressure difference was within 10% error.     

钠滴氧化燃烧特性的实验研究

液态钠泄漏和燃烧是钠冷快堆在运行中一多发的常见事故。本文主要针对液态钠滴在不同初始温度(140~370℃)和氧浓度(4%~21%)条件下的氧化燃烧行为进行实验研究。实验通过1套钠滴燃烧装置和高速摄像机使钠滴的氧化燃烧行为可视化。实验结果表明:钠滴的初始温度和氧浓度越低,钠滴表面产生的柱状氧化物越长;在相同氧浓度条件下,钠滴初始温度越高,越易着火燃烧;钠滴初始温度在200℃以下时很难点燃,当有扰动破坏了表面的氧化层结构时,钠滴也会逐渐燃烧;钠滴初始温度在140~370℃的条件下,氧浓度≥12%时,钠滴能燃烧充分,最高温度基本可升至600~800℃;氧浓度12%时,燃烧并不充分,燃烧的最高温度均在600℃以下。这些结果对柱状流及雾状钠火的研究有重要的指导意义。     

Numerical prediction of fire extinguishment characteristics of sodium leak collection tray in a fast breeder reactor

Sodium leak collection tray (LCT) is an efficient passive device used for the extinguishment of liquid sodium fire in case of an accidental leakage from the secondary circuit of a fast breeder reactor. The LCT essentially isolates the leaking sodium into closed containers where the resulting fire is extinguished due to limited availability of oxygen. The current work aims to highlight the combustion extinguishment characteristics of LCT through a lumped formulation by conserving the mass and energy of liquid sodium and constituent gases in various parts of the LCT. Here, the complex hydrodynamics of liquid sodium is emulated through a semi-analytical draining/sloshing model and its burning rates are predicted through a three-dimensional open pool combustion model for the tray region and a closed pool combustion model for the holdup vessel. These simulations evaluate the burning rates at discrete levels of liquid sodium which are subsequently interpolated to establish correlations involving instantaneous liquid levels and oxygen concentration. Using the correlations obtained from the draining and combustion models, the overall lumped formulation directly predicts the un-burnt sodium recoverable after the extinguishment of fire in the LCT. The predicted results of this model compare well with the available experimental data.     

钠雾火试验结果及与雾火程序计算的比较分析

钠雾火试验在一个体积为2.4 m~3的封闭容器内进行,用于分析雾状钠火的热动力学后果。250℃的液态钠在电磁泵的驱动下经过直径为2.4mm的喷头呈液滴喷出形成雾状钠火,喷头与容器底部的距离为1.35m,钠喷射流量约14.85g/s,喷射持续78s,试验测得容器内的气体在78s时达到最高压力41kPa,113s时达到最高温度190℃。将试验数据和利用基于雾状钠火计算程序(NACOM)编制的计算程序计算得到的数据进行了对比和分析。结果表明:当将钠喷射的流量修正为3.83g/s、容器壁的总传热系数修正为9.6 W/(m~2·K)时,钠喷射期间,计算压力大于试验压力,钠喷射结束后,计算的压力变化曲线和试验所得的压力变化曲线吻合较好;而计算所得的温度曲线和试验测得的温度曲线有较大差异,理论上容器内的温度在第78s时达到最大值303℃,分析认为是因为热电偶测量的温度存在滞后现象。     

基于FDS的钠火三维数值模拟研究

根据FDS火灾动力学分析软件的计算特点,结合钠火的燃烧模式,采用化学动力学建立了钠火燃烧的数值计算模型,将其与FDS软件相结合,使该软件具有模拟钠火燃烧的功能。使用两个钠火试验数据对程序计算得到的房间温度、压力、托盘内壁温度、氧气摩尔份额进行了验证。结果表明,房间温度、托盘内壁温度、氧气摩尔份额的计算结果与试验结果较为吻合,且计算结果也符合钠火实际燃烧的情况,但压力的计算结果与试验结果差异较大。     

Potential results of spray and pool fires

The studies on sodium pool inflammation have been conducted in a 3161 vessel, and those on sodium pool fires in three facilities: 4, 22 and 400 m³. The influence of the following parameters has been studied: sodium temperature, combustion area, humidity in the atmosphere and oxygen concentration. The experimental results have been used to validate the FEUNA code. The experimental studies on sodium spray fires have been conducted in a 3.7 m³ vessel. The experimental results have been used to validate a sodium spray fire computer code: PULSAR.     

钠冷快增殖堆钠雾火分析计算

在钠冷快增殖堆假想事故中 ,由于管道破裂 ,钠喷出到有氧的房间引起钠雾火 ,导致房间内温度及压力的上升。在NACOM单个液滴燃烧模型的基础上 ,考虑燃烧钠液滴的运动以及由于钠液滴与气体的热平衡关系 ,并忽略由于液滴间的相互作用影响 ,编制程序SPCOM。对钠雾火过程中涉及的液滴运动、液滴燃烧、喷雾燃烧以及质量热量传递问题进行了模拟。计算了钠雾火引起的房间的温度及压力瞬变 ,并与实验进行了比较 ,符合良好     

钠冷快堆中池式钠火的计算分析

文章论述了根据池式钠火的特点建立了理论模型 ,编制了SPOOL程序。该程序模拟钠燃烧过程中钠和氧气的化学反应 ,钠燃烧热在各种介质中不同方式的传递 ,钠气溶胶的产生、沉积 ,以及在各种通风条件下多种介质的质量和能量交换等瞬态过程 ,描述了钠燃烧过程中各种特征参数随时间的变化。其主要的计算参数包括房间内气体的压力和温度、房间建筑结构的温度、钠气溶胶质量浓度等等。用俄罗斯别洛雅尔斯克核电站实验和法国卡桑德拉 3号实验的数据 ,对SPOOL程序进行验证的结果表明 ,该程序的计算结果可信。该程序为国内钠冷快堆中池式钠火事故的安全分析提供了分析方法     

喷射钠火的初步分析及实验方法研究

以交换器入口端和蒸发器出口端的管道为例,研究管道中液态钠泄漏所产生喷射钠火的成因和影响后果,研究实际泄漏情况下钠的泄漏流速和形成钠滴的大小,比较模拟水喷射下的水流速和水滴大小,理解液滴在不同流量下和不同大小喷嘴的喷射形式和相互关系,选择合适的钠喷射喷嘴开展钠喷射实验,获得喷射钠火的相关数据,帮助理解钠喷射燃烧现象。     

基于FDS程序的钠火事故情景模拟技术研究

钠火是钠冷快堆的典型事故,钠火事故情景计算机模拟仿真是对钠火事故风险评价的有力工具。本文以常规火灾三维计算流体力学软件FDS为平台,增加钠火燃烧模型,包括燃烧热模型、燃烧速率模型、喷射液钠粒径分布模型等,完成了钠火情景模型的开发,并通过与SPHINCS钠火试验和计算结果的温度分布与氧气含量对比,验证了模拟技术和模型开发方案的可行性。本文的研究成果能为后续钠火仿真模拟程序的开发提供研究基础和经验参考。     

Sodium Fire Accident Scenario Simulation Technology Study Based on FDS Code

Sodium fire is a typical accident of sodium-cooled fast reactor. Simulation of sodium fire accident scenario by software is a powerful tool for risk assessment of sodium fire accident. In this paper, the conventional fire three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics software FDS was used as a platform to add a sodium fire combustion model, including combustion heat model, combustion rate model, spray liquid sodium particle size distribution model, etc., and complete the development of sodium fire scenario modeling analysis program. And through the comparison with SPHINCS sodium fire test and calculation results, the feasibility of the method and development plan was verified. The research results of this paper can provide the research basis and experience reference for the development of the subsequent sodium fire simulation program.     

Sodium Fire Code SFIRE1C for Pool Fire Characteristics

Sodium pool fire code, SOFIRE II, written for the constant value of stoichiometric combustion ratio and heat of reaction is used to compute the buildup of pressure and temperature in a containment. In the SOFIRE II model, for the formation of a mixture of Na₂O and Na₂O₂ in the sodium pool, the input stoichiometric combustion ratio and heat of formation values need to be varied to corresponding values admissible for the mixture. In the present work, the SOFIRE II one-cell model is revised and the present version SFIRE1C (Sodium FIRE 1 Cell model) accounts for the formation of Na₂O in an early stage of the fire and shifts to the formation of Na₂O₂ at a later stage. Thus SFIRE1C computes in a more realistic manner the reaction products which are formed in the pool. The model for sodium oxide aerosol release is also modified in this version, by incorporating a more appropriate aerosol release rate equation. The calculated values using the SFIRE1C one-cell model are compared with sodium pool fire experimental results.     

Sodium pool combustion phenomena under natural convection airflow

Sodium pool fire is a design basis accident of sodium-cooled fast reactor. In this study, a numerical method for multi-dimensional modeling of sodium pool fire has been developed. It considers coupling of thermal-hydraulics, chemical reaction and aerosol dynamics equations. From the present multi-dimensional computation, phenomena of sodium pool fire are understood such as flow and temperature fields and aerosol mass distribution of various sizes. It has been found that the burning rate varies along the radial direction and the mass and heat transfer around the pool peripheral is maximum and most influential. The thermal-hydraulic phenomena in the near-surface region are very important to determine the sodium pool fire consequence such as the burning rate and aerosol emission. The area-averaged burning rate and aerosol release fraction calculated by the present numerical method are in agreement with experimental data.     

钠冷快堆中喷雾钠火的计算分析

根据钠冷快堆中喷雾钠火的特点建立了理论模型，编制了SSPRAY程序。该程序模拟钠喷雾燃料过程中钠滴的运动、钠和氧气的燃烧反应、热量传递和质量传递等瞬态过程。用该程序计算了气体和墙壁温度、气体压力、氧气摩尔份额、喷雾流燃烧速率和热量热递速率等主要参数。利用AI实验数据和美国SPRAY－3A的计算结果对程序进行了验证，结果符合较好。     

Development of 160 m3/min Large Capacity Sodium-Immersed Self-Cooled Electromagnetic Pump

A large capacity sodium-immersed self-cooled electromagnetic pump (LEMP) was developed for application to the main circulation pumps of FBR. This advanced LEMP is a submergible annular linear induction pump designed to be self-cooled by immersing into sodium and applying high temperature electrical insulation. Almost all the internal electrical losses were transferred to the surrounding sodium, which can be recovered as electricity by turbine generators. The LEMP having specifications of 160m³/min flow rate, 0.28 MPa head and more than 40% efficiency at the rating was designed, fabricated and tested in the sodium pump test facility. The test involves magnetic field measurement in the air and a variety of sodium tests during 2,550 h, which demonstrated good pump performance and flow controllability, and satisfied the design target. The boundary between flow stability and instability of the LEMP operation could be defined by peak position of the Q-H curve, which was specified by Re_m×S (magnetic Reynolds' number times slip) of 1.4 to 1.5 at 335°C. Based on the test results, the applicability of the LEMP for the FBR was confirmed.