In the challenge of sustainable energy development, Liquid Metal Fast Reactors (LMFRs) offer a promising solution, utilizing liquid metal coolant for enhanced safety and efficiency. As the world addresses climate change and energy security, LMFR research gains significance, with ongoing projects aiming to accelerate development and deployment. Within the EU PATRICIA project, an experimental campaign at ENEA Brasimone RC will further investigate LMFR technology using the updated CIRCE-THETIS facility. This effort focuses on improving the understanding of thermal–hydraulic behaviour of LBE cooled pool type reactors, during Protected Loss Of Flow Accident (PLOFA) scenarios, with a specific emphasis on the cooling capability provided by the Reactor Vessel Air Cooling System (RVACS) and the Helical Coil Steam Generator (HCSG). Previous research conducted at the University of Pisa demonstrated that the most effective approach for the numerical analysis of the addressed PLOFA is the coupling method. This technique combines System Thermal Hydraulic (STH) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approaches, aiming to overcome the weaknesses inherent in each method while exploiting their advantages. In this study, a STH/CFD coupling scheme is developed for the pre-test analyses of some selected PLOFA scenarios in the CIRCE-THETIS facility. Our analyses primarily focus on assessing the effectiveness of the cooling strategy, with particular attention to the onset of natural circulation and the potential occurrence of dangerous peak temperatures during these transient events. Our results indicate that all the adopted cooling strategies show sufficient capabilities to safely cool the system, highlighting the excellent heat removal capability of the RVACS. This research underlines the importance of the coupling approach in optimizing experimental setups and advancing the understanding of LMFR technology for sustainable energy production.

Coupled STH/CFD calculations in support of the upcoming CIRCE-THETIS Experimental Campaign

Pietro Stefanini
Primo
;
Andrea Pucciarelli
Secondo
;
Daniele Martelli;Nicola Forgione
2025-01-01

Abstract

In the challenge of sustainable energy development, Liquid Metal Fast Reactors (LMFRs) offer a promising solution, utilizing liquid metal coolant for enhanced safety and efficiency. As the world addresses climate change and energy security, LMFR research gains significance, with ongoing projects aiming to accelerate development and deployment. Within the EU PATRICIA project, an experimental campaign at ENEA Brasimone RC will further investigate LMFR technology using the updated CIRCE-THETIS facility. This effort focuses on improving the understanding of thermal–hydraulic behaviour of LBE cooled pool type reactors, during Protected Loss Of Flow Accident (PLOFA) scenarios, with a specific emphasis on the cooling capability provided by the Reactor Vessel Air Cooling System (RVACS) and the Helical Coil Steam Generator (HCSG). Previous research conducted at the University of Pisa demonstrated that the most effective approach for the numerical analysis of the addressed PLOFA is the coupling method. This technique combines System Thermal Hydraulic (STH) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approaches, aiming to overcome the weaknesses inherent in each method while exploiting their advantages. In this study, a STH/CFD coupling scheme is developed for the pre-test analyses of some selected PLOFA scenarios in the CIRCE-THETIS facility. Our analyses primarily focus on assessing the effectiveness of the cooling strategy, with particular attention to the onset of natural circulation and the potential occurrence of dangerous peak temperatures during these transient events. Our results indicate that all the adopted cooling strategies show sufficient capabilities to safely cool the system, highlighting the excellent heat removal capability of the RVACS. This research underlines the importance of the coupling approach in optimizing experimental setups and advancing the understanding of LMFR technology for sustainable energy production.
2025
Stefanini, Pietro; Pucciarelli, Andrea; Di Piazza, Ivan; Martelli, Daniele; Forgione, Nicola
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11568/1291907
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