Fast Reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems Knowledge Base

Conference Article: Design of a molten heavy-metal coolant and target for fast-thermal accelerator driven sub-critical system (ADS)

B. Satyamurthy, S.B. Deqwekar, P.K. Nema

Abstract

Reactor physics design of a 750 MWth one way coupled fast-thermal ADS was evolved in BARC earlier. This indicated that a fairly large thermal power output was possible with a proton beam of 1 GeV and current 2 ­ 3 mA. We also carried out preliminary studies on the molten Pb/Pb-Bi coolant and spallation-target system in the fast zone of this ADS. The thermal power in this zone was estimated to be about 109 MW. In these studies, analyses related to thermal hydraulics have been carried out for a buoyancy driven system to determine the coolant parameters for both lead as well as lead-bismuth eutectic. This design is similar to the passive lead coolant system design of CERN-EA. Appropriate equations for buoyancy pressure head, pressure drop in the reactor core; coolant velocity, heat transport etc. have been solved for different coolant inlet and outlet temperatures, fuel-pin pitch distances, fuel-power densities etc. The analyses show that coolant height required for generating buoyancy pressure head is a very strong function of power density of the fuel-pin and DT (difference between outlet and inlet temperature) of the coolant. Main advantage of lead-bismuth eutectic comes from the inlet temperature that can be significantly lower than that of lead; thus larger DT can be obtained which in turn will reduce required coolant height. This will result in saving of coolant inventory and cost. In this paper, preliminary engineering design of coolant and target for the 109 MW fast reactor zone is presented. In addition, the proposed Indian programmes to study thermal-hydraulics and materials for the technology development are discussed.

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key words: Fast Neutron Spectrum Systems, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Advisory Group Meeting on “Design and Performance of Reactor and Sub-critical Blanket Systems with Lead and Lead-Bismuth as Coolant and/or Target Material” , Moscow, Russian Federation, 23-27 October 2000
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TECDOC--1348, pp:195-204