Studies validating a sodium purification system integrated in the reactor vessel

7/14/2014 2014 - #02 Thermal physics and thermal hydraulics

Kalyakin S.G. Sorokin A.P. Kozlov F.A. Alekseev V.V. Scherbakov S.I.

https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2014.2.09

Considering that safety of fast neutron reactors must be improved, the requirements for the equipment of a nuclear power facility have been raised. Specifically, it has been decided that all systems with radioactive sodium, including the sodium purification system, be placed inside the reactor vessel. Since no prototype of the cold trap integrated in the reactor vessel is available in Russia, a considerable number of studies validating its design were required. The paper presents the calculation results obtained using the MASKA and TURBOFLOW codes for different versions of argon and sodium-cooled cold traps integrated in the fast neutron reactor vessel. Based on the above analysis, the conclusion is made that the sodium-cooled trap is preferable because it allows gaining a more rational use of the space inside the trap. Thus, the most uniform distribution of depositions on the walls along the height of the trap and in the serpentine is achieved, which allows accumulating more than 500 kg of sodium oxide in the trap. Recommendations on improving the design of the cold trap in order to increase its productivity and capacity are given for different impurities. The numerical results obtained suggest that in order to achieve improved cooling of low-purity sodium in the cold trap and to decrease the dependence of its characteristics on the quantity of the depositions accumulated the serpentine diameter should be 20-30 cm less than the inner diameter of the cold trap cavity.

References

1. Kozlov F.A., Alekseev V.V., Kovalev Yu.P., Kumaev V.Ya., Matyukhin V.V., Orlova E.A., Pirogov E.P., Sorokin A.P., Scherbakov S.I. Issledovaniya v obosnovanie sistemy ochistki natriya dlya perspektivnykh bystrykh reaktorov [Researches in substantiation of sodium purification system for perspective fast reactors]. Atomnaya Energiya, 2012, v. 112, no. 1, pp. 18–24.
2. Kozlov F.A., Volchkov L.G., Kuznetsov E.K., Matyukhin V.V.Gidkometalicheskie teplonositeli YaEU. Ochistka ot primesej I ih kontrol’. [Liquid metal coolants of NPP. Clearing from impurity and their control]. Under the editorship of Dr. Sci. Tech. Kozlova F.A. Moscow, Energoatomizdat Publ. 1983. (in Russian).
3. Alekseev V.V., Kovalev Yu.P., Kalyakin S.G., Kozlov F.A., Kumaev V.Ya., Kondrat’ev A.S., Matyukhin V.V., Pirogov E.P., Sergeev G.P., Sorokin A.P., Torbenkova I.Yu. Sistemy ochistki natrievogo teplonositelya AES s reaktorom BN-1200 [Purification systems of the sodium coolant for NPP with BN-1200 reactor]. Teploenergetika, 2013, no. 5, pp. 1–12.
4. Scherbakov S.I. Numerical simulation of nonsteady-state multiphase flow. The 2D TURBO-FLOW computer code used to perform express analysis of designs. Proc. 11-th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal)Hydraulics NURETH-11, Paper 238. Avignon, France, October 2-6, 2005.

sodium cold trap temperature concentration hydrogen model distribution of deposition mass transfer computer code

Link for citing the article: Kalyakin S.G., Sorokin A.P., Kozlov F.A., Alekseev V.V., Scherbakov S.I. Studies validating a sodium purification system integrated in the reactor vessel. Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika. 2014, no. 2, pp. 81-89; DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2014.2.09 (in Russian).