Development of numerical estimation method using spatial connection methodology for thermal striping in upper plenum of reactor vessel of an advanced loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor in Japan

Tanaka, Masaaki  ; Murakami, Satoshi*

Thermal striping on the core instrumentation plate (CIP) around the primary control rod (PCR) and backup control rod (BCR) channels and the radial blanket fuel assemblies (RBAs) may be caused. Since the interaction between neighbor areas exists in the UIS and the cold sodium flowing from the RBA is affected by the external flow around the UIS, a spatial connection method consisting of the numerical model for the whole upper plenum and the local target area has been developed. The numerical results were compared with the experimental results to confirm applicability of the method to the practical problem. And, sensitivity of mesh arrangement to the numerical results was discussed by using wide and narrow area models with two different spatial resolutions in each model. Through the examinations, appropriate local model for the spatial connection mothed could be proposed.