Reaction behavior between sodium and molten salt caused by the heat transfer tube failure for sodium-cooled fast reactor coupled to thermal energy storage system

Sato, Rika; Kondo, Toshiki   ; Umeda, Ryota ; Kikuchi, Shin  ; Yamano, Hidemasa   

In a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) coupled to thermal energy storage (TES) system, the reaction between nitrate molten salt as thermal energy storage medium and sodium (Na) as reactor coolant might occur under postulated accidental conditions. Thus, the reaction behavior of Na-nitrate molten salt is one of the important phenomena in terms of safety assessment of the SFR with TES system. In this study, reaction experiments on Na-solar salt were performed. It was found that Na-solar salt reaction occurred after the NaNO-KNO eutectic melting. Based on the measured reaction temperature, the kinetic parameters and rate constant were obtained and compared with the sodium-water reaction. From the results of kinetic analysis, it could be assumed that Na-solar salt reaction occurs in the time frame of the accident such as the failure of heat transfer tube of sodium-molten salt heat exchanger.