To validate thermal-hydraulic loop models for application to LACANES design analysis in participating organisations, by benchmarking with a set of well-characterised lead-alloy coolant loop test data.
To establish guidelines for quantifying thermal-hydraulic modelling parameters related to friction and heat transfer by lead-alloy coolant.
To identify specific issues, either in modelling and/or in loop testing, that needs to be addressed via possible future work.
Lead-alloys are very attractive nuclear coolant because of their low
melting temperature, high boiling temperature, chemical stability and neutron
transparency. In addition, lead-bismuth Eutectic (LBE) itself is a very efficient
spallation target for neutron generation via a high-energy proton accelerator.
Thus, lead and lead alloy coolants continue to be the subject of considerable
research in the USA, Europe, and Asia as well as Russian Federation,
focused on accelerator-driven transmutation systems and lead and lead-alloy
cooled fast reactors (LFR) that are hereafter collectively designated as lead alloy-cooled
advanced nuclear energy systems (LACANES).
Accurate characterisation of the thermal-hydraulic behaviours of those
LACANES under natural circulation as well as steady-state forced convection is of
critical importance for the system design development effort. While benchmarking
of thermal-hydraulic loop models has been extensively carried out for sodium coolants,
such a systematic effort has not been carried out in parallel
for lead or lead-bismuth coolant. By utilising large-scale lead-alloy coolant loop
test facilities, experimental data can be examined and qualified for used in benchmarking
of these models. An expert group that addresses the major issues associated with
the thermal-hydraulic benchmarking for LACANES would prove beneficial to all the interested parties.
Approach
Thermal-hydraulic data sets for isothermal steady-state forced convection tests
and non-isothermal natural circulation tests have been produced using the
HELIOS (heavy eutectic liquid metal loop for integral test of operability and safety)
facility at the Seoul National University, Seoul, Rep. of Korea.
Participants will model the loop tests and compare results with the produced data sets.
Detailed information on the geometric and thermal-hydraulic configuration of HELIOS
is first disseminated to participants so that modelling input parameters can be evaluated.
An isothermal convection test run will be predicted by each modelling participant. Then model results will be compared with HELIOS isothermal test data. The same procedure will be repeated for the case of natural circulation. Unresolved important issues, if encountered, will be summarised.
Schedule and deliverables
The time when approval is obtained to start work is defined as t0. The subgroup will work for two years to achieve the results described above. The schedule will be organised in four phases:
Phase 1 (from t0 to t0+6 months): Characterisation of HELIOS
Phase 2 (from t0 to t0+12 months): Isothermal convection benchmark
Phase 3 (from t0 to t0+18 months): Natural circulation benchmark
Phase 4 (from t0 to t0+24 months): Issue identification and final assessment report
Meetings
Task Force meeting
6th meeting (29-30 August 2013, NEA offices, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France)
5th meeting (5-6 February 2013, ENEA Bologna, Italy)
4th meeting (23-24 February 2012, NEA offices, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France)
3rd meeting (19-21 January 2011, NEA offices, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France)
2nd meeting (17-18 June 2010, San Diego, USA)
1st meeting (11-13 January 2010, NEA offices, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France)
Meetings under Expert Group on HLM Technology
5th meeting (20, 22 May 2009, Jeju and Seoul, Korea)
4th meeting (15-16 December 2008, NEA offices, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France)