Development of numerical evaluation method for heat transportation with sodium mist in the cover gas region of sodium-cooled fast reactor

Hayakawa, Satoshi*; Hagiwara, Hiroyuki*; Imamura, Akira*; Onoda, Yuichi; Tanaka, Masaaki; Nakamura, Hironori*

Proceedings of 13th Korea-Japan Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS13) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2024/11

In a sodium-cooled fast reactor, a cover gas region filled with argon gas is located above the sodium pool in the main vessel to prevent the hot sodium from contacting the structures. This region involves heat transportation by natural convection of the cover gas, radiation among liquid surface and structures, and sodium phase change between mist and vapor. In this study, the numerical evaluation method has been developed with a commercial CFD code, Fluent, incorporating the sodium mist transport and growth models, and the radiation scattering model. Simulations of a laboratory scale test with a cylindrical cover gas region was carried out for the validation of the method and showed that the temperature distribution and sodium mist concentration in the cover gas region are in good agreements with the test results. A simulation of a pool-type sodium cooled fast reactor has also conducted and the basic aspect of physical phenomena taking place in the cover gas region were evaluated.

Research on radioactive aerosol control and decontamination at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Decommissioning (Contract research); FY2022 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; The University of Tokyo*

JAEA-Review 2024-031, 75 Pages, 2024/08

JAEA-Review-2024-031.pdf:3.74MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2022. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2021, this report summarizes the research results of the "Research on radioactive aerosol control and decontamination at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station decommissioning" conducted in FY2022. The present study aims to develop a safe laser decontamination system that can control aerosol diffusion during laser decontamination while simultaneously allowing advanced particle measurement and evaluation, in cooperation with a research group in the United Kingdom.

Boundary layer measurements for validating CFD condensation model and analysis based on heat and mass transfer analogy in laminar flow condition

Soma, Shu; Ishigaki, Masahiro*; Abe, Satoshi; Shibamoto, Yasuteru

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 56(7), p.2524 - 2533, 2024/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2024.02.011

Development of numerical analysis method of oxygen concentration near wall of lead-bismuth eutectic channel

Watanabe, Nao; Yamashita, Susumu; Uesawa, Shinichiro; Nishihara, Kenji; Yoshida, Hiroyuki

Proceedings of 20th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-20) (Internet), p.3522 - 3534, 2023/08

Accelerator-driven system (ADS), the coolant of which is lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE), has been designed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Estimating corrosion rate at the wall surface of LBE channel is an important issue in considering safety and the life of the entire structure. The corrosion rate depends on state of oxygen layers forming at the material surface. Therefore, this study aims to develop a method to evaluate the corrosion rate in ADS for the design study by estimation of the oxide layer growth and dissolution (OLGD) rates by means of numerical analysis. The OLGD rates, mass transfer rates of oxygen and iron between the material and LBE and advection-diffusion rates of them in LBE depend on each other. Therefore, in order to estimate OLGD rates, the three numerical analysis models should be coupled. For the advection-diffusion calculation, to use CFD code should be reasonable approach to analyze complex flow in ADS, while for the OLGD and the mass transfer calculation, to use some correlation equations should be reasonable because their scales are much smaller than the advection-diffusion. The present work has developed the analysis method of OLGD rates by using JUPITER code, which is CFD code developed in JAEA. In terms of the correlation equations of OLGD and mass transfer rates, existing models used in a previous study were used with modified.

Experiment and numerical simulation of pulsation flow in single channel for Li-7 enrichment technology development by MCCCE method

Horiguchi, Naoki; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Kitatsuji, Yoshihiro; Hasegawa, Makoto*; Kishimoto, Tadafumi*

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2023/05

From the viewpoint of energy security in Japan and reduction of the environmental load, continuous operation of light water reactors is essential. Since a pH adjuster with enriched Li-7 ions is required for water quality control on PWR, the development of Li-7 enrichment technology is one of the key issues. The multi-channel counter-current electrophoresis (MCCCE) method has been developed as the technology with a low environmental load. To put this method into practical use, it is necessary to understand Li-7 ion behavior in the channel flow and optimize the experimental condition to separate Li-7 and its isotope. In this paper, to understand Li-7 ion behavior in a single channel of the experimental apparatus, a numerical simulation method based on a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code with a particle tracking method, TPFIT-LPT, was developed. In the method, the motion of multiple ions under the electric field was simulated as a particle with an added velocity by the electric field. The difference in the isotopes was represented by changing of the magnitude of the added velocity. We also considered that although it is impossible to measure the behavior of each ion, it is important to measure the flow velocity of the bulk fluid for the validation of the numerical simulation. We developed a lab-scale experimental apparatus in which the single channel of the actual apparatus was simplified to measure the flow velocity by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). We set a pulsation flow condition on the lab-scale experiment, which is one of difficult conditions for the numerical simulation, and measured the velocity. As the result, we confirmed that the pulsation flow was reproduced. We set the measured data as the inlet boundary condition of the numerical simulation and conducted it. As the numerical result, we confirmed the ions affected by the electric field moved upstream with pulsation. We also confirmed the effect of the electric field on the motion of the isotope.

CFD-based analysis and experimental study on gas entrainment phenomenon due to free surface vortex

Song, K.*; Ito, Kei*; Ito, Daisuke*; Odaira, Naoya*; Saito, Yasushi*; Matsushita, Kentaro; Ezure, Toshiki; Tanaka, Masaaki

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2023/05

Gas entrainment (GE) phenomena caused by a free surface vortex may cause the disturbance in core power of sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). For this reason, the entrained gas flow rate by the GE should be evaluated accurately for the practical safety design of SFRs. In this study, for the purpose of examining the applicability of CFD for the accurate evaluation of GE phenomena, a CFD is applied to the simulation of the free surface vortex and accompanied GE phenomena in a cylindrical vessel with a suction pipe, and the CFD results and the experimental data of the GE are compared. As a result, the CFD and experiments show similar two-phase flow pattern inside the suction pipe, and the shape of the gas core at the free surface is also very similar. Therefore, it is confirmed that the CFD can predict the GE phenomena triggered by a free surface vortex properly and accurately within the acceptable error range.

Effects of vent size and wind on dispersion of hydrogen leaked in a partially open space; Studies by numerical analysis

Terada, Atsuhiko; Nagaishi, Ryuji

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 197(4), p.647 - 659, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2022.2126689

In order to understand dispersion of hydrogen leaked in a partially open space practically, which can be considered as a basic model for all processes of transfer, treatment, storage and disposal of radioactive materials containing fuel debris in the decommissioning of nuclear facilities after a severe accident, by using a CFD code, the effects of vent size and outer wind on the H dispersion were analytically studied by adopting the experimental Hallway model, which has H release hole on the ceiling, one vent on the Roof vent and Door vent. Air flowed in the model from the Door vent, while H was discharged outside from the Roof vent. The discharged amount of H increased in conjunction with the air inflow when the size of Roof and or Door vents was increased. The effect of wind depended on the direction to the Door vent: wind from the same direction as the Door vent promoted the H discharge, while wind from the opposite direction suppressed. The dispersion characteristics of indoor leaked H was clarified for comparing model tests with the same Froude number and different scales. It was found from the analysis results of comparing model tests with the same Froude number and different scales that when the H leaked into the room and diffused to the air, the flow generated by the buoyancy of mixed gas created the stack effect which caused the natural ventilation by drawing in the air from the outside through vent. In addition, it was speculated that the H concentration decreased after its leak by quickly mixing with the air which flowed in from the vents and reached to the floor due to the Coanda effect, which is the effect of the free jet being drawn to a nearby wall.

Research on radioactive aerosol control and decontamination at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station decommissioning (Contract research); FY2021 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; The University of Tokyo*

JAEA-Review 2022-061, 59 Pages, 2023/02

JAEA-Review-2022-061.pdf:2.38MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2021. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2021, this report summarizes the research results of the "Research on radioactive aerosol control and decontamination at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station decommissioning" conducted in FY2021. The present study aims to develop a safe laser decontamination system that simultaneously incorporates an advanced particle detection and characterization system together with aerosol dispersion control in collaboration with the UK researchers. By using the UK partner's fundamental studies related to aerosol and water interface interactions, various methods such as electro-chemical processing of water-mist particles and spray droplets will be applied for effective control of ultra-fine aerosol particle dispersions in a large containment volume.

Experimental and numerical study on energy separation in vortex tube with a hollow helical fin (Joint research)

Kureta, Masatoshi; Yamagata, Yoji*; Miyakoshi, Ken*; Mashii, Tatsuya*; Miura, Yoshiaki*; Takahashi, Kazunori*

JAEA-Research 2022-007, 28 Pages, 2022/09

JAEA-Research-2022-007.pdf:8.17MB

To enhance energy separation in a counter-current Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube, a newly designed hollow helical fin was inserted into the hot tube of the vortex tube. In this study, the effect of the fin on the energy separation was investigated using three types of the vortex tube, and then computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation has been conducted to understand the experimental results and discuss the flow structure in the vortex tube with the hollow helical fin. As a result, it was found from the experimental data that the fin effectively enhanced energy separation, and that the tube length could be shorten. When the inlet air pressure was 0.5 MPa, the maximum temperature difference from the inlet to the cold exit was 62.2C. The CFD code employing the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) turbulence model was used to analyze the fluid dynamics in the vortex tube. As a result, it was confirmed that the temperature, velocity, and pressure distributions changed significantly at the stagnation point, and that the distributions in the tube with the fin were completely different from those without the fin. It was thought that a strong reversing helical vortex flow with small recirculating vortex structure formed between the fin end and the stagnation point on the cold exit side would enhance energy separation in the vortex tube with the hollow helical fin.

Application of 1D-CFD coupling method to unprotected loss of heat sink event in EBR-II focusing on thermal stratification in cold pool

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Fujisaki, Tatsuya*; Igawa, Kenichi*; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of 29th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 29) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2022/08

To confirm the applicability of the reactivity model, the authors have been conducting the benchmark exercises of the unprotected loss of heat sink event tests in a pool-type experimental fast reactor EBR-II. In the blind phase in the benchmark analyses using the plant dynamics analysis (1D) code in which the cold pool was modeled by means of the perfect mixing volume, it was found the increase of the core inlet temperature was evaluated lower than that of the measured data and the feedback reactivity was underestimated, because the thermal stratification in the cold pool was ignored. Then, the detailed model of the cold pool for the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code was introduced and the 1D-CFD codes coupling method was applied to the benchmark analyses. It was confirmed that both the thermal stratification in the cold pool and the increase of the core inlet temperature were successfully reproduced.