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Conference Article: Thermal and hydraulic behaviours during start-up of emergency reactor cooling system for the experimental VHTR

Asami, T.; Kudo, A. (Babcock Hitachi K.K., Tokyo (Japan)); Hirano, M.; Suzuki, K. (Department of Power Reactor Projects, Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki)

Abstract

The start up characteristics of the Emergency Reactor Cooling System for the experimental VHTR by JAERI, were investigated. Water injection tests were carried out using 4 full sized vertical tubes. The flow instability observed during water injection tests could be eliminated by installing multi-stage orifices at the tube inlet. The range of thermal stress induced in the tubes was below 10 kg/mm2, and didn't cause any structural problems during about 100 times of water injection tests. Calculated tube wall temperature transient during rewetting and quench front velocity showed fairly good agreement with the experimental results.

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key words: after-heat removal; computer calculations; cooling systems; depressurization; eccs; efficiency; injection; loss of flow; medium temperature; performance testing; pressure vessels; temperature distribution; thermal stresses; tubes; vhtr reactor; water; accidents; containers; enriched uranium reactors; experimental reactors; gas cooled reactors; graphite moderated reactors; helium cooled reactors; htgr type reactors; hydrogen compounds; intake; oxygen compounds; power reactors; reactor accidents; reactor protection systems; reactors; research and test reactors; stresses; testing; thermal reactors
Reference:
Specialists' meeting on safety and accident analysis for gas-cooled reactors. Oak Ridge, TN (USA). 13-15 May 1985
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TECDOC--358, pp:263-271