Experimental and theoretical study on the natural circulation characteristics of humid air in the fuel assembly of a full-scale pressurized water reactor

LI Leilei; LIU Maolong; NI Song; WANG Xiaowen; LIU Limin; GU Hanyang

doi:10.11889/j.0253-3219.2024.hjs.47.080607

He jishu (Aug 2024)

Experimental and theoretical study on the natural circulation characteristics of humid air in the fuel assembly of a full-scale pressurized water reactor

LI Leilei,
LIU Maolong,
NI Song,
WANG Xiaowen,
LIU Limin,
GU Hanyang

Affiliations

LI Leilei: School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
LIU Maolong: School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
NI Song: Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
WANG Xiaowen: School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
LIU Limin: School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
GU Hanyang: School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.11889/j.0253-3219.2024.hjs.47.080607
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 47, no. 8
pp. 080607 – 080607

Abstract

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BackgroundNatural circulation systems are widely used in the nuclear industry for decay heat removal, post-accident containment cooling, and the cooling of radioactive waste storage facilities. Because a large number of spent fuel assemblies are densely arranged in the spent fuel pool, the spent fuel assemblies in the central area of the spent fuel pool can be approximated as having adiabatic boundary conditions. In the event of a coolant loss accident, the heat generated by the spent fuel assemblies can be exported only by the natural circulation of air.PurposeThis study aims to develop analytical models for fuel assembly natural circulation characteristics independent of the results of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to investigate the natural circulation characteristics of spent fuel pools following a coolant loss accident.MethodsBased on the experimental results of a fuel assembly pressure drop of a full-scale pressurized water reactor (PWR), the Darcy–Forchheimer model was firstly revised to predict the pressure drop of humid air flowing through the fuel assembly. Models for the fuel assembly natural circulation flow rate and peak cladding temperature were then established, and the effects of the relative humidity of air on the models were considered. Finally, these models were applied to investigating effects of total heating power, ambient temperature, and relative humidity on the natural circulation flow rate and peak cladding temperature of the fuel assembly.ResultsThe results show that the models accurately predict the natural circulation flow rate and peak cladding temperature of the fuel assembly under different heating powers, and the errors are less than 25% and 20%, respectively, as compared with the experimental measurement values.ConclusionsThe developed models in this study can be used to study the natural circulation characteristics of full-scale PWR fuel assemblies.

Published in He jishu

ISSN: 0253-3219 (Print)
Publisher: Science Press
Country of publisher: China
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering: Nuclear engineering. Atomic power
Website: https://www.hjs.sinap.ac.cn/

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