Experimental study on combustion characteristics of sodium fire in a columnar flow

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. This paper is based on an experimental study of sodium fire in a columnar flow, which was carried out to focus on the burning characteristics by analyzing the temperature fields in the burner. The injection of 200 °C liquid sodium with the flux of 0.5 m³/h was poured into a 7.9 m³ volume stainless steel cylindrical burner to shape a sodium fire, and the data of temperature fields in the burner have been collected by dozens of thermocouples which are laid in the combustion space and sodium collection plate. These results show that the sodium fire in a columnar flow is composed of the foregoing centered columnar fire, the subsequent spray fire caused by atomization and the pool fire on the collection plate. The temperature close to the burning sodium flow maximally reaches up to 950 °C. The radial temperatures apart from the sodium flow are relatively low and generally about 200 °C, and maximally just 300 °C even when close to the sodium collection plate. The maximum temperature of the burning sodium dropping on the collection plate rises in the center of plate, about 528 °C. This study is helpful to evaluate the combustion characteristics, formation process and composing forms of the sodium fire in the sodium-related facilities.     

Development of the residual sodium quantification method for a fuel pin bundle of SFRs before and after dry cleaning

ABSTRACT

In a fuel handling system of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), it is necessary to remove the sodium remaining on spent fuel assemblies (FAs) before storing them in a spent fuel water pool (SFP). A next-generation SFR in Japan has adopted an advanced dry-cleaning system that consists of argon gas blowing to remove the metallic residual sodium on the FA, which increases economic competitiveness and reduces waste products thanks to a waterless process. In this R&D work, the performance of the dry cleaning process has been investigated.

This paper describes experimental and analytical studies focusing on the amount of residual sodium remaining on a fuel pin bundle before and after the argon gas blowing process. The experiments were conducted using a sodium test loop and a short (approximately 1 m) specimen consisting of a 7-pin bundle. The effects of the blowing gas velocity and the blowing time were quantitatively analyzed in the experiments. The blowing gas velocity was varied from 3.9 to 31.3 m/s, and 113 data-points of the residual sodium were collected during the experiment. On the basis of these experimental results, the residual sodium quantification method for the fuel pin bundle was constructed.     

Visualizing an ignition process of hydrogen jets containing sodium mist by high-speed imaging

In severe accident scenarios for sodium-cooled fast reactors, it is desirable to gradually consume hydrogen generated by various ex-vessel phenomena without posting a challenge to containment integrity. An effective means is combustion of hydrogen jets containing sodium vapor and mist, but previous studies have been limited to determining ignition thresholds experimentally. The aim of this study was to visualize the ignition process in detail to investigate the ignition mechanism of hydrogen–sodium mixed jets. The ignition experiments of the hydrogen jet containing sodium mist were carried out under a condition of little turbulence. The ignition process was measured with an optical measurement system comprised of a high-speed camera and an image intensifier, and a spatial distribution of luminance was analyzed by image processing. Detail observation revealed that sodium mist particles burned as scattering sparks inside the jet and that hydrogen ignited around the mist particles. Additionally, the experimental results and a simple heat balance calculation indicated that the combustion heat of sodium mist particles could ignite the hydrogen as the heterogeneous ignition source in the fuel temperature range where the mist particle formation was promoted.     

Comparative study of minor actinide transmutation in sodium and lead-cooled fast reactor cores

This paper shows that lead-cooled and sodium-cooled fast reactors (LFRs and SFRs) can preferentially consume minor actinides without burning plutonium, both in homogeneous and in heterogeneous mode. The former approach consists of admixing about 5% of minor actinides (MAs) into uranium–plutonium fuels in the core and using a limited number of thermalising pins consisting of UZrH_1.6. These are needed to keep the negative Doppler feedback larger than the positive coolant reactivity coefficient. Our Monte Carlo burn-up calculations showed that a 600 MW_e LFR self-breeder without blankets can burn an average of around 67 kg annually of MAs with a reactivity swing of only about −0.7$ per year. The reactivity swing of a corresponding 600 MW_e SFR is more than three times larger due to the poorer breeding and half the critical mass in comparison to the LFR. However, when axial and radial blankets loaded with 10% MAs are added, the SFR burns 25% more MAs (131 kg/yr) and breeds 30% more Pu (150 kg/yr) than an equally sized LFR. When only the blankets are loaded with MAs, the SFR breeds 30% more Pu (198 kg/yr) and still burns about 60 kg a year of MAs. However, in terms of severe accident behaviour, the LFR, with its superior natural coolant circulation and larger heat capacity, has definite advantages.     

中国实验快堆典型钠阀温度分布研究

中国实验快堆典型钠阀作为系统重要的涉钠设备,直接影响着反应堆系统的安全运行。中国实验快堆工程在调试和运行阶段面临着钠阀门带来的一系列问题。本文应用CFD软件计算了两种运行工况下典型钠阀稳态温度场分布,分析了保温层厚度一定、高度不同的情况下,钠阀门的温度场分布结果,并与实验结果进行了对比,证明结果是合理的有意义的。     

Visualization on the behavior of inert gas jets impinging on a single glass tube submerged in liquid sodium

In order to accurately model sodium–water reaction jets in steam generators of fast breeder reactors, knowledge of size distributions or mean diameters of liquid sodium droplets entrained into the reaction jets is prerequisite. In the present study, argon-gas jet behaviors, without chemical reaction, injected into liquid sodium were successfully visualized using an endoscope and a glass tube, and the size distributions and mean diameters of liquid sodium droplets entrained into the gas jet were also obtained in the bubbling regime. Most of the liquid sodium droplets were observed to be intermittently produced in the vicinity of a gas nozzle in the present study. The droplet size distributions of entrained sodium droplets were found to agree well with the Nukiyama–Tanasawa distribution function when the arithmetic mean diameter was used. The Sauter mean diameters obtained in the present study were also found to be well correlated with an empirical equation proposed by Epstein et al. The present study shows that the existing knowledge, which is based on the results of water experiments, is suitable in terms of accuracy in practice.     

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。     

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。     

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。     

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.     

Analysis of fuel subassembly innerduct configurational effects on the core characteristics and power distribution of a sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor

The power distribution and core characteristics in various configurations of fuel subassemblies with an innerduct structure in the Japan sodium-cooled fast reactor were evaluated using a Monte Carlo code for neutron transport and burnup calculation. The correlation between the fraction of fuel subassemblies facing outward and the degree of power increase at the core center was observed regardless of the compositions. This indicated that the spatial fissile distribution caused by innerduct configurations was the major factor of the difference in the power distribution. A power increase was also found in an off-center region, and it tended to be greater than that at the core center because of the steep gradient of neutron flux intensity. The differences in the worth of control rods caused by the innerduct configurations were confirmed.     

Experimental and Analytical Investigation of the Fast Reactor Passive Shutdown System: LIM

To enhance the inherent safety of the fast reactors, the lithium injection module (LIM) is proposed for inherent ultimate shutdown instead of conventional scram rod. LIM is composed of a refractory metal envelope in which 95% enriched ⁶Li is enclosed. In case the core outlet temperature exceeds the melting point of the freeze seal, ⁶Li is injected by a pneumatic mechanism from the top to bottom chamber to achieve negative reactivity insertion. This concept is attractive because the actuator has no moving parts and depends on the reliable physical property. In this paper, experimental and analytical verification of the LIM performance are presented. Real-time monitoring of LIM during reactor operation has been discussed as well.     

钠滴燃烧仿真模型研究

对钠冷快堆喷雾钠火计算中使用的传统球状钠滴模型进行了改进,采用表面带有锥状突起的钠滴新模型,使模拟更接近于燃烧实际现象。根据钠滴燃烧过程中表面氧化、预燃和燃烧3个阶段的不同规律,分别建立了数学模型,通过引入单位时间内参与氧化反应与发生气化的钠的质量比γ,模拟计算了钠滴在不同初始温度(200～500 ℃)和不同氧气浓度(4%～20%)下的燃烧温度特性。仿真结果与实验数据吻合较好,并分析了γ的变化规律。     

Plutonium and Minor Actinides incineration options using innovative Na-cooled fast reactors: Impacting on phasing-out and on-going fuel cycles

The flexibility of innovative Na-cooled fast reactors for burning Pu and/or Minor Actinides (MA) is investigated with respect to different fuel cycle strategies. Under phasing-out conditions, the burner systems are used for reducing to a minimum level the accumulated TRansUranic (TRU) inventory, whereas when continuous use of nuclear energy is envisaged (on-going case), burner systems may be dedicated to MA management only.As an example of a phasing-out case, the accumulated German TRU inventory (at 2022) is assumed to be transmuted in a chosen time period of 150 years. For this purpose, two different burner fast reactors concepts, developed at KIT, are deployed in a Partitioning and Transmutation based fuel cycle. The effects are analyzed in order to confirm the behavior expected by the neutronics studies and to provide a basis for further optimization of the scenarios with respect to a number of reactors, deployment paces and fuel compositions.Additionally the performance of the MA burner is assessed to provide an effective MA mass stabilization in case of a continuous use of nuclear energy. Preliminary results are compared with those of past studies based on the European Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor.     

液态金属钠高温沸腾实验回路应力分析与强度计算

本文主要完成了液态金属钠高温沸腾实验回路的应力分析与计算，确定了回路高温区连接管系的布置型式和支吊架系统，是该回路总体设计的重要组成部分。     

Fragmentation of a single molten metal droplet penetrating into sodium pool. IV. Thermal and hydrodynamic effects on fragmentation in copper

To characterize the relationship between thermal and hydrodynamic effects on fragmentation of molten metallic fuels, with the interaction of the sodium coolant under a wide range of thermal and hydrodynamic conditions, in this paper, we focus on the fragmentation characteristics of a single molten copper droplet (1 and 5 g) with an ambient Weber number (We _a) from 102 to 614 and superheating conditions from 15 to 574°C, which penetrates into a sodium pool at an initial temperature from 298 to 355°C. In our experiments, fine fragmentations of the single molten copper droplets with a high We _a were clearly observed even under a supercooled condition that is well below the copper melting point of 1083°C. The dimensionless mass median diameters (D _m /D ₀) of molten droplets with a high We _a are less than the molten droplets with a low We _a under the same thermal condition. When We _a was approximately >200, the hydrodynamic effect on fragmentation became dominant over the thermal effect under a relatively low superheating condition. For a higher We _a range, the comparisons indicated that the fragment sizes of the molten copper droplets had similar distributions to those of copper and metallic fuel jets and stainless steel droplets even with different thermophysical properties and a 1000-fold mass difference, which implied the possibility that the fragment size characteristics of the molten metal jets could be evaluated by the interaction of a single droplet with the sodium coolant without consideration of dropping modes and mass.     

快堆钠-空气热交换器翅片管传热及阻力特性试验研究

钠-空气热交换器是钠冷快堆事故余热排出系统的重要设备之一,与外界环境一起构成事故下反应堆余热的最终热阱。由于钠-空气热交换器的换热管采用垂直布置的翅片管结构,空气在不同位置处冲刷换热管的流速以及角度不同,导致其传热特性及阻力特性与传统翅片管换热器有很大不同。本文以钠-空气热交换器工程设计需求为研究背景,设计了两种试验件分别进行空气冲刷角度为90°和30°时翅片管束传热与流动阻力特性试验研究。试验结果表明：对于相同管排,空气冲刷角度为90°时的翅片管的换热系数及阻力系数明显大于空气冲刷角度为30°时的翅片管;对于相同空气冲刷角度下的不同换热管排,第2排翅片管的换热系数最大。本文研究为钠-空气热交换器的设计及优化提供了理论依据。     

Experimental Study on Heat Transfer and Resistance Characteristics for Finned Tube of Fast Reactor Sodium-air Heat Exchanger

Sodium-air heat exchanger is one of the important equipment in the decay heat removal system of sodium-cooled fast reactor, which together with the external environment constitutes the final heat trap for the residual heat of a reactor. Due to the vertically arranged finned tube structure adopted by the heat exchanger tubes of the sodium-air heat exchanger and the difference of the flow direction and velocity of the air at the different positions, the heat transfer and resistance characteristics are very different from of traditional finned tube heat exchanger. In this paper, based on the engineering design requirements of sodium-air heat exchanger, two kinds of experimental specimens were designed to study the heat transfer and flow resistance characteristics of finned tube bundles with air flow angles of 90° and 30°. The experimental results show that the heat transfer and resistance coefficients of the same finned tube with air flow angles of 90° are significantly greater than those of the finned tube with air flow angles of 30°. For the same air flow direction, the second finned tube has the largest heat transfer coefficient. The research provides a theoretical basis for the design and optimization of sodium-air heat exchanger.     

An experimental study on natural circulation decay heat removal system for a loop type fast reactor

A fully natural circulation-based system is adopted in the decay heat removal system (DHRS) of an advanced loop type fast reactor. Decay heat removal by natural circulation is a significant passive safety measure against station blackout. As a representative of the advanced loop type fast reactor, DHRS of the sodium fast reactor of 1500 MWe being designed in Japan comprises a direct reactor auxiliary cooling system (DRACS), which has a dipped heat exchanger in the reactor vessel, and two units of primary reactor auxiliary cooling system (PRACS), which has a heat exchanger in the primary-side inlet plenum of an intermediate heat exchanger in each loop. The thermal-hydraulic phenomena in the plant under natural circulation conditions need to be understood for establishing a reliable natural circulation driven DHRS. In this study, sodium experiments were conducted using a plant dynamic test loop to understand the thermal-hydraulic phenomena considering natural circulation in the plant under a broad range of plant operation conditions. The sodium experiments simulating the scram transient confirmed that PRACS started up smoothly under natural circulation, and the simulated core was stably cooled after the scram. Moreover, they were conducted by varying the pressure loss coefficients of the loop as the experimental parameters. These experiments confirmed robustness of the PRACS, which the increasing of pressure loss coefficient did not affect the heat removal capacity very much due to the feedback effect of natural circulation.     

The design and utilization of a high-temperature helium loop and other facilities for the study of advanced gas-cooled reactors in the Czech Republic

This paper focuses on the research infrastructure of advanced gas cooled reactors in the Czech Republic, particularly on the high-temperature helium loop HTHL, which is a unique facility of its kind. HTHL is intended mainly for testing structural materials. It also can be used to research technologies relating to helium coolant. The maximum temperature and pressure that can be used within the specimen testing space are 900 °C and 7 MPa, respectively, and the maximum gas flow rate in the main loop is 38 kg/hr. Originally, the equipment was envisaged as a device for corrosion tests of materials in the reactor LVR-15 but, according to current plans, a different equipment will be built for this purpose within the frame of the SUSEN project. At the same time, an additional helium loop (S-Allegro) will be built to test selected components of advanced gas-cooled reactors.