Fast Reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems Knowledge Base

Conference Article: Thermal hydraulic design of PFBR core

Abstract

The thermal-hydraulic design of core is important in respecting temperature limits while achieving higher outlet temperature. This paper deals with the analytical process developed and implemented for analysing steady state thermal-hydraulics of PFBR core. A computer code FLONE has been developed for optimisation offlow allocation through the subassemblies(SA). By calibrating β n, (ratio between the maximum channel temperature rise and SA average temperature rise) values with SUPERENERGY code and using these values in FLONE code, prediction of average and maximum coolant temperature distribution is found to be reasonably accurate. Hence, FLONE code is very powerful design tool for core design. A computer code SAPR has been developed to calculate the pressure drop of fuel and blanket SA. Selection of spacer wire pitch depends on the pressure drop, flow-induced vibration and the mixing characteristics. A parametric study was made for optimisation of spacer wire pitch for the fuel SA. Experimental programme with 19 pin-bundle has been undertaken to find the flow-induced vibration characteristics of fuel SA. Also, experimental programme has been undertaken on a full-scale model to find the pressure drop characteristics in unorificed SA, orifices and the lifting force on the SA.

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Reference:

Technical committee meeting on methods and codes for calculations of thermohydraulic parameters for fuel, absorber pins and assemblies of LMFR's with traditional and burner cores. Obninsk (Russian Federation) 27-31 Jul 1998

International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

IAEA-TECDOC--1157, pp:46-60