In recent years, interest in Liquid Metal-cooled Fast Reactors (LMFRs) has grown due to increased energy demand and the need for sustainable energy production. The Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) is a promising solution, with compatibility for fast neutron spectra and safety-oriented characteristics. However, limited operational experience and scarce experimental facilities necessitate reliance on simulations for design and safety analysis. System codes (STH), commonly used for simulating nuclear power plant behaviour, can be extended to liquid metal-cooled reactors. One critical issue is simulating the liquid-gas interface, especially its impact on reactor operational transient simulations. This paper analyses the behaviour of the liquid-gas interface in a U-shaped tube partially filled with lead-liquid and argon as cover gas. Various system codes (STH), including RELAP5/Mod3.3, ASYST-LM and ATHLET, are used for assessment. The study highlights different codes’ capabilities and identifies parameters for optimisation when safety analyses must be carried out for LFR.
Non-condensable Gas-Liquid Interface in LFR: analysis of STH code response for the manometer test case
Chiara Robazza
;Nicola Forgione
2024-01-01
Abstract
In recent years, interest in Liquid Metal-cooled Fast Reactors (LMFRs) has grown due to increased energy demand and the need for sustainable energy production. The Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) is a promising solution, with compatibility for fast neutron spectra and safety-oriented characteristics. However, limited operational experience and scarce experimental facilities necessitate reliance on simulations for design and safety analysis. System codes (STH), commonly used for simulating nuclear power plant behaviour, can be extended to liquid metal-cooled reactors. One critical issue is simulating the liquid-gas interface, especially its impact on reactor operational transient simulations. This paper analyses the behaviour of the liquid-gas interface in a U-shaped tube partially filled with lead-liquid and argon as cover gas. Various system codes (STH), including RELAP5/Mod3.3, ASYST-LM and ATHLET, are used for assessment. The study highlights different codes’ capabilities and identifies parameters for optimisation when safety analyses must be carried out for LFR.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
