Results of the temperature noise measurements in subchannels of sodium cooled electrically heated 28 rod bundle behind a blockage

For LMFBR safety studies a 28 rod bundle has been built at Petten (cooperation of GfK and ECN), representing a 60-degrees section of an SNR-300 fuel element having a 70% flat type central blockage. The aims of the temperature noise measurements were to determine the subchannel coolant velocities behind the blockage to study the mixing of coolant in subchannels of different temperature from behind the blockage to the outlet and to study the temperature noise due to boiling in a subchannel. The temperature noise measurements were carried out in parallel to the other measurements (temperature distribution, etc.), using signals of fourteen subchannel thermocouples placed in five measuring planes behind the blockage. The single phase measurements were made with several heat fluxes (5 W/cm² to 120 W/cm²), inlet flows (0.25 to 3 m/s) and inlet temperatures (250°C to 600°C). Two phase flow is initiated and sustained either by a slow and continuous pressure reduction or by stepwise reduction of the main flow. The temperature noise signals were amplified and recorded in analog form. Later the signals were digitized and analysed by digital computers. Part of the signals was also processed by a hardware correlator. The experimental results of the temperature noise measurements will be shown for the different conditions of the loop. Measurements clearly show the following effects:

• - the recirculation flow pattern due to the vortex in the wake behind the blockage;

• - the dependence of r.m.s. value of the noise on the heat flux and the coolant flow;

• - the increase in noise and change in power spectra when going from single phase to the boiling condition.

     

Measurements of turbulent velocity and temperature in axial flow through a heated rod bundle

Fully developed turbulent air flow in a heated 37-rod bundle with a pitch to diameter ratio of 1.12 has been investigated. Measurements were performed with a hot-wire probe with x-wires and a temperature wire. Besides the distributions of the mean velocity, mean fluid temperature, the wall shear stress and wall temperature, the turbulent quantities such as the turbulent kinetic energy, the Reynolds-stresses and the turbulent heat fluxes were measured and compared with data from isothermal flow and heated flow in pipes.     

Impact of gas in sodium flow on the temperature variation in an LMFBR rod bundle

The impact of gas in sodium flow on the temperature variation in an LMFBR rod bundle was studied in two types of experiments: (1) The gas fraction of the subchannels as well as the gas bubble spectra across the outlet of an unheated 61-rod bundle with wire spacers were measured in water/air flow. The distributions of the gas fractions at the inlet of the bundle were performed under uniform and non-uniform conditions. The results show that the distribution of the averaged gas fractions between the individual subchannels at the outlet of the bundle was almost the same as the distribution at the inlet. The measured bubble spectra show a dependency existing between the bubble frequencies, the bubble lengths, and the gas fraction in a subchannel. (2) A model for computing the transient temperature distributions within a heated rod was supported by experiments performed in a sodium/argon flow. For slug flow conditions a comparison indicates that the measured variations of wall temperatures can be well interpreted as being functions of the bubble contact time, rod power, and gas fraction in the flow.     

电加热元件的结构和热物性对瞬态热工水力实验的影响

在热工水力实验中普遍使用电加热元件替代核燃料元件。然而 ,由于两者在结构以及材料热物性等方面存在差异 ,在稳态时核燃料元件与电加热元件的温度分布和储能不同 ,而在瞬态过程中两者热工水力响应不同。针对这一情况 ,首先分析了电加热元件与核燃料元件结构和热物性不同对实验的影响 ,然后介绍了减少这种差别的一种可行方法———功率控制法 ,同时指出了该方法的局限性     

Laser doppler measurements of flow in a rod bundle

A two component laser doppler velocimeter with polarized beams and frequency shift was used to measure the turbulent flow field for axial flow between the rods of a nine rod, square pitch rod bundle. Parameters measured include mean axial and lateral velocities, turbulence intensities and the friction factor. The axial velocities for 10000 to 40000 Reynolds number are slightly higher than those reported by Rowe. The maximum lateral velocities measured are about 1% of the bulk velocity; somewhat larger than suggested by earlier authors. Axial and lateral turbulence intensities are larger than those in pipe flows.     

Boiling and dryout behind local blockages in sodium cooled rod bundles

Much attention has been given in LMFBR safety analysis to cooling disturbances caused by local blockages within a fuel subassembly. Such blockages are generally considered to be more probable in gridded fuel pin clusters which present the possibility for solid particles in the coolant to be trapped at grids to form a radially extending flow obstruction. The temperature distribution produced in the region of impaired cooling has been studied in water and sodium experiments in pin bundles of various sizes. The experimental work at KfK on local cooling disturbances culminated in two local blockage experiments in the KNS sodium loop simulating LMFBR fuel elements with a 49% central and a 21% corner blockage. In the frame of this work pin cooling in the wake of the blockage was investigated in single-phase conditions, in boiling conditions up to dryout and in conditions simulating gas release from failed pins. The general aims of the studies were to demonstrate that the consequences of a local blockage do not lead to rapid propagation of damage within a pin bundle and to obtain data for validation of theoretical models.     

Experimental investigation of turbulent transport of momentum and energy in a heated rod bundle

Turbulent air flow in a central channel of heated 37-rod bundles with triangular array at two different pitch-to-diameter ratios (P/D=1.12 and P/D=1.06) was investigated. Measurements were performed with a hot-wire probe with x-wires and an additional temperature wire. Time mean velocities, time mean fluid temperatures, wall shear stresses and wall temperatures, turbulent quantities such as the turbulent kinetic energy, all Reynolds stresses and all turbulent heat fluxes were measured at two different pitch-to-diameter ratios in a central channel of the bundle. It is shown that with decreasing gap width the turbulence field in rod bundles deviates significantly from that in a circular tube. Also, data on the power spectral density functions of the velocity and temperature fluctuations are presented. These data show the existence of large-scale periodic fluctuations of velocity and temperature in the gap region of two adjacent rods. These fluctuations are responsible for the high intersubchannel heat and momentum exchange. Spectral measurements with two hot wire probes imply a distinct similarity of motion of vortices in adjacent subchannels of the bundle.     

Investigations on the flow and temperature distribution downstream of local coolant blockages in rod bundle subassemblies

Experimental and theoretical investigations are reported on the flow and temperature distribution in local recirculating flows in rod bundles, downstream of a blockage. A mean coolant temperature in this recirculation zone can be calculated from the dimension of the recirculation zone and the mass exchange rate with the main flow. Similarity analysis for recirculating flow in a simple geometry without rods shows that with a sufficiently high Reynolds number, similar geometry and similar heat distribution, the dimensionless temperature fields in recirculating flows are equal and independent of the Reynolds and Prandtl numbers. This result is also observed to be true for rod bundles, justifying temperature distribution measurements to be performed with water instead of sodium. Typical results are given.     

Characterization of heat transfer and temperature distributions in an electrically heated model of an LMFBR blanket assembly

This paper describes results of an experimental program to reduce uncertainties associated with the thermal-hydraulic design and analysis of LMFBR blanket assemblies. These assemblies differ significantly from fuel assemblies in design detail and operating conditions. In blanket assemblies, heat transfer occurs over a wide range of complex operating conditions. The range and complexity of conditions are the result of flux and power gradients which are an inherent feature of the blanket region and the power generation level in an assembly which can vary from 20 kW to 2 MW. To provide effective cooling of all assemblies and economical operation, coolant is metered to groups of assemblies in proportion to their ultimate power level. As a result, the assembly flow can be in the laminar, transition or turbulent range. Because of the wide range of heat generation rates and the range of coolant flow velocities, heat transfer from rods to coolant may take place in the forced, natural or mixed convection mode. Under low flow conditions, buoyancy affects the flow pattern in the bundle, and thus, alters the temperature distribution. The complexities are further compounded since, in addition to temperature gradients within an assembly, there are also significant temperature differences between adjacent assemblies. This results in heat transfer by conduction between adjacent assemblies, which tends to further distort flow and temperature patterns.Since these effects cannot be accurately predicted analytically, full-size radial blanket assembly heat transfer tests are being conducted using electrically heated fuel rod simulators in flowing sodium. A 61-rod electrically heated radial blanket assembly mockup of prototypic dimensions was designed, constructed and installed in a 200 gpm (45 m³/hr) sodium test loop.Heat transfer tests are being conducted over a wide range of power and sodium flow rates with this full-scale, vertical, electrical-resistance-heated rod bundle. The rod bundle is extensively instrumented by thermocouples located at six distinct elevations in the wire wrap and inside the heater cladding. Tests were conducted covering the flow range from fully turbulent to fully laminar with approximately constant power-to-flow ratio. The power input patterns included across bundle gradients of 2.8 to 1 and 2.0 to 1 maximum to minimum, uniform power input to all rods and a dished distribution with low power in the central row and high power in the two rows of rods adjacent to the duct walls.The test program provided experimentally measured axial and transverse temperature profiles for the test model over a range of anticipated plant operating conditions. The data were used to (a) determine the effect of Reynolds Number, power gradients and power-to-flow ratio on transverse and axial temperature profiles and particularly on peak and peripheral channel temperatures; (b) determine the effect of inter-assembly heat transfer on peak temperatures and temperature distributions; and (c) determine the effect of buoyancy on temperature profiles.     

Electrochemical noise measurements of stainless steel in high temperature water

Corrosion in a high purity aqueous environment simulating a boiling water reactor (BWR) is addressed in this work. This condition necessitates autoclave experiments under high pressure and temperature.Long-term electrochemical noise measurements were explored as a mean to detect and monitor stress corrosion cracking phenomenon. An experimental set up, designed to insulate the working electrode from external interference, made possible to detect and monitor stress corrosion cracking in slow strain rate tests for sensitized and solution annealed 304 stainless steel at 288 °C. Time-series analysis showed variations in the signature of the current density series due to transgranular stress corrosion cracking (TGSCC) and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC).     

Thermohydraulic characteristics of coolant gas flow through a control rod channel in a very high temperature gas cooled reactor

A calculation code was developed to evaluate the thermohydraulic performance of a coolant flow through a control rod channel in a very high temperature gas cooled reactor (VHTR) and a high temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR). A one-dimensional flow network model was employed in the present calculation code. The calculated results agreed well with the experimental ones on the flow rate distribution and the total pressure loss in an isothermal coolant flow. The thermohydraulic characteristics of the HTTR control rod channel were evaluated by the code under various conditions, including the normal operating conditions of a HTTR.     

An experimental study on the critical heat flux for low flow of water in a non-uniformly heated vertical rod bundle over a wide range of pressure conditions

An experimental study of the critical heat flux (CHF) has been performed for a water flow in a non-uniformly heated vertical 3 × 3 rod bundle under low flow and a wide range of pressure conditions. The experiment was especially focused on the parametric trends of the CHF and the applicability of the conventional CHF correlations to a return-to-power conditions of a main steam line break accident whose conditions might be a low mass flux, intermediate pressure, and a high inlet subcooling. The effects of the mass flux and pressure on the CHF are relatively large and complicated in the low pressure conditions. At a high mass flux or a low critical quality, the local heat flux at the CHF location sharply decreases with an increasing local critical quality. However, at a low mass flux or a high critical quality, the local heat flux at the CHF location shows a nearly constant value regardless of the increase of the critical quality. The CHF data at the very low mass flux conditions are correlated well by the churn-to-annular flow transition criterion or the flow reversal phenomena. Several conventional CHF correlations predict the present return-to-power CHF data with reasonable accuracies. However, the prediction capabilities become worse in a very low mass flux of below about 100 kg/(m² s).     

Experemental investigations of transcritical heat transfer on an electrically heated model of a fuel assembly

The purpose of this work was to obtain experimental information on the temperature state of fuel elements in the transcritical region and to develop methods for calculating the heat-emission coefficient. The following region of regime parameters was investigated: pressure 11.7–16.7 MPa, temperature at the entrance into the fuel-assembly model 200–285°C, mass velocity 700–1900 kg/(m²·sec). The existence of a definite transcritical power reserve was confirmed experimentally. The results of the investigations showed that in the experimental range of regime parameters the coolant temperature at the entrance into the fuel-assembly model has the strongest effect on the transcritical reserve. As temperature increases, the transcritical reserve increases. A method for calculating the heat-emission coefficient in the transcritical region was developed on the basis of the experimental data obtained, 5 figures. 2 references. Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 88. No. 4, pp. 257–260, April, 2000. Original article submitted July 8, 1998: resubmitted December 15, 1999.     

ARMA models in the analysis of temperature noise measurements in a Super-Phenix subassembly mock-up

The noise analysis methods play an important role in the early, reliable detection of local cooling disturbances in a fast reactor subassembly such as sodium boiling or blockage, which are considered among the initiating events of major disruptive core accidents. In this paper we apply the Box and Jenkins auto-regressive moving-average ARMA models to the analysis of several temperature time-series measured by the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique in the course of the CFNa experiment carried out at the nuclear center of Grenoble. The source of data is a thermocouple placed at the outlet of a Super-Phenix subassembly mock-up. The analysis shows that a simple ARMA (3,2) model adequately accounts for the observed fluctuations. This model provides methods for a continuous, in situ estimate of the thermocouple time constant, for the identification of a suitable boiling and blockage indicator and for the detection in real time of suddenly occurring disturbances.     

Measurements of frequencies and spatial correlations of coherent structures in rod bundle flows

Cross-wire anemometry was used to identify and characterize coherent flow pulsations in isothermal air flow near the gap regions of a five-rod bundle with a design pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.149 and contained in a quasi-trapezoidal duct. It was confirmed that such pulsations are quasi-periodic and contribute significantly to the velocity fluctuations across the gap. The frequency of pulsations was found to decrease with diminishing rod–wall gap size in the range between 0.015D and 0.250D, where D is the rod diameter. The pulsations in a rod–wall gap and an adjacent rod–rod gap were strongly coupled and occurred at the same frequency as one rod was displaced towards the duct wall.     

Experimental study on the Reynolds number dependence of turbulent mixing in a rod bundle

An experimental study for Reynolds number dependence of the turbulent mixing between fuel-bundle subchannels, was performed. The measurements were done on a triangular array bundle with a 1.20 pitch to diameter relation and 10 mm rod diameter, in a low-pressure water loop, at Reynolds numbers between 1.4 × 10³ and 1.3 × 10⁵.The high accuracy of the results was obtained by improving a thermal tracing technique recently developed. The Reynolds exponent on the mixing rate correlation was obtained with two-digit accuracy for Reynolds numbers greater than 3 × 10³. It was also found a marked increase in the mixing rate for lower Reynolds numbers.The weak theoretical base of the accepted Reynolds dependence was pointed out in light of the later findings, as well as its ambiguous supporting experimental data.The present results also provide indirect information about dominant large scale flow pulsations at different flow regimes.     

A study on improvement of sodium cooled TRU burner design using burnable poison

A new design approach to improve safety characteristics of sodium cooled core for transuranic element transmutation is discussed. In the new option, some amount of fertile material is removed for reduction of sodium void reactivity. Simultaneously, a burnable absorber material is loaded in replacement of fertile material to compensate for reactivity drop during the fuel depletion. Two methods of burnable absorber loading are considered such as the homogeneous and the heterogeneous. In the results, it is found that the homogeneous loading cannot reduce the sodium void reactivity but makes the reactivity more positive. On the other hand, the heterogeneous loading can reduce the sodium void reactivity successfully. It is also found that the increment in burnup reactivity swing is negligible when the burnable poison is heterogeneously loaded. It is concluded that if the burnable poison material is loaded appropriately, the sodium void reactivity can be reduced without any significant penalty of increase in burnup reactivity swing.