Simulating Sodium Purification from Oxygen by a Soluble Getter. Izvestiya vuzov

6/20/2022 2022 - #02 Chemistry, physics and technology of reactor coolants

Sutyagina R.О. Alekseev V.V. Sutyagin I.А.

https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2022.2.08

The impurities presented in the liquid metal coolant cause effects that complicate the operation of a nuclear power facility. For example, with an increase of dissolved oxygen in a liquid metal coolant, an increase in the corrosion rate of steels is observed. For modern fast reactors, the task is to create sodium purification systems integrated in the reactor vessel. Getter purification systems have certain attractiveness, especially systems with soluble getters, which have the ability of low-temperature purification of sodium. This article presents the results of modeling the purification of sodium from oxygen by soluble getters. Magnesium is considered as an example of a soluble getter which has the ability of active chemical-physical interaction with sodium oxide to form a solid getter oxide. Next, the formed solid getter oxides are removed by subsequent filtration. To determine the effectiveness of magnesium, a mathematical model of the process of sodium purification from oxygen was developed. The presented mathematical model describes the process of purification of sodium from oxygen by a soluble getter, including the stages of magnesium dissolution in sodium and dilution of the resulting solution with initial sodium. The model concerned also includes: chemical interaction of magnesium with sodium oxide; change of the main system components concentration; formation and coagulation of reaction products. While studying magnesium as a soluble getter, it was found that effective purification of sodium from oxygen is achieved if there is a filter capable of capturing particles with a size of ~ 1⋅10–7 m. In further studies, it is necessary to consider other materials for use as soluble getters, to evaluate the possibility of their use in the device for purification of sodium from oxygen.

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sodium, fast reactor soluble getter magnesium purification concentration liquid metal coolant reaction constant Gibbs thermodynamic potential saturation concentration

Link for citing the article: Sutyagina R.О., Alekseev V.V., Sutyagin I.А. Simulating Sodium Purification from Oxygen by a Soluble Getter. Izvestiya vuzov. Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika. 2022, no. 2, pp. 81-89; DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2022.2.08 (in Russian).