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

Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology (Internet), 8, p.137 - 142, 2025/09

https://doi.org/10.15669/pnst.8.137

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.

Time-dependent change in occurrence rate of steam generator tube leak in sodium-cooled fast reactors; Phenix and BN-600

Kurisaka, Kenichi

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 11(2), p.23-00377_1 - 23-00377_14, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.1299/mej.23-00377

This study aims to understand the time-dependent change in the occurrence rate of leak from steam generator (SG) tubes in sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). The target SFRs in the present paper are Phenix in France and BN-600 in Russia. By reviewing publicly available literature that show data from the SFRs, we have investigated the numbers of tube-to-tubeplate welds and tube-to-tube welds, heat transfer areas of tube base metal, operating hours of SGs, dates when SG tube leak occurred, locations of leak, and corrective actions taken after tube leak events, such as replacement of the module, in which a leak occurred. Based on these, we have estimated the time to leak and quantitatively analyzed the time-dependent change of the occurrence rates of SG tube leak for each of the above-mentioned parts by hazard plotting method. The results show that the rates of both Phenix and BN-600 decreased over time. For Phenix, this is probably thanks to improved welding and SG operating conditions. For BN-600, it seems that in many cases, the probable cause of the leak was initial defects that developed to failure during the early stage of reactor operation, and that no special countermeasure was taken in the later stages. Therefore, it would be natural to assume that the rate simply decreased over time. The rate of leak at tube-to-tube welds in Phenix shows significant increase in a short term after a certain period of time. This can be caused by thermal stress repeatedly exerted on the materials.

Oxidation and embrittlement behavior of FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube under loss-of-coolant accident conditions

Narukawa, Takafumi; Kondo, Keietsu; Fujimura, Yuki; Kakiuchi, Kazuo; Udagawa, Yutaka; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 587, p.154736_1 - 154736_8, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154736

Behavior of FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube under loss-of-coolant accident conditions

Narukawa, Takafumi; Kondo, Keietsu; Fujimura, Yuki; Kakiuchi, Kazuo; Udagawa, Yutaka; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 582, p.154467_1 - 154467_12, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154467

Analysis by hazard plotting on steam generator tube leak in sodium-cooled fast reactors Phenix and BN600

Kurisaka, Kenichi

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

This study aims to understand a time trend of the occurrence rate of steam generator (SG) tube leak in the existing sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) based on the observed data. The target on SFRs in the present paper is Phenix in France and BN600 in Russia. From the open literature review, we investigated the number of tube-to-tube plate weld, the number of tube-to-tube weld, heat transfer area of tube base metal, operating time of SGs, dates when SG tube leak occurred, leaked location, corrective action after tube leak such as replacement of leaked module. Based on these observed data, time to leak is estimated and then time trend of the occurrence rate of SG tube leak for each of the above-mentioned parts was quantitatively analyzed by the hazard plotting method. As a result, the rate of leak at tube-to-tube weld in Phenix shows increase with time due to probable cause of cyclic thermal stress in a short term. As for a long-term trend, the rate of tube leak in both Phenix and BN600 SGs indicated decrease with time probably thanks to improvement in welding and in SG operating condition and to removal of initial failure.

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.

Influence of a positive grid biasing on RF system in J-PARC RCS

Yamamoto, Masanobu; Nomura, Masahiro; Okita, Hidefumi; Shimada, Taihei; Tamura, Fumihiko; Hara, Keigo*; Hasegawa, Katsushi*; Omori, Chihiro*; Sugiyama, Yasuyuki*; Yoshii, Masahito*

Proceedings of 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC 22) (Internet), p.1336 - 1338, 2022/06

https://doi.org/10.18429/JACoW-IPAC2022-TUPOTK052

In order to accelerate a high intensity beam in the RCS, a large amplitude of the rf current is provided by a tube amplifier to compensate a heavy beam loading. Tetrode vacuum tubes are used in the RCS, and the control grid voltage enters into a positive region to feed such a large rf current. The positive grid biasing affects the waveform of the control grid voltage; it is deformed due to the induced control grid current under the condition of the multi-harmonic rf driving. Furthermore, the DC bias voltage drop on the control grid is observed because of the exceeding the capability for the control grid power supply. We describe the influence of the positive grid biasing in the RCS.

Vacuum tube operation tuning for a high intensity beam acceleration in J-PARC RCS

Yamamoto, Masanobu; Okita, Hidefumi; Nomura, Masahiro; Shimada, Taihei; Tamura, Fumihiko; Furusawa, Masashi*; Hara, Keigo*; Hasegawa, Katsushi*; Omori, Chihiro*; Sugiyama, Yasuyuki*; et al.

Proceedings of 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC 21) (Internet), p.1884 - 1886, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.18429/JACoW-IPAC2021-TUPAB201

Tetrode vacuum tubes in J-PARC RCS are used under a reduced filament voltage condition compared with the rating value to prolong the tube lifetime. For the first time after 60,000 hour of operation in the RCS, one tube has reached the end of its life in 2020. Therefore, the reduced filament voltage works well because the tube has been running beyond an expected lifetime suggested by the tube manufacturer. However, the reduced filament voltage decreased the electron emission from the filament. Although the large amplitude of the anode current is necessary for the high intensity beam acceleration to compensate a wake voltage, a solid-state amplifier to drive a control grid circuit almost reaches the output power limit owing to the poor electron emission from the filament. We changed the filament voltage reduction rate from 15% to 5%. The required power of the solid-state amplifier was fairly reduced, whereas the accelerated beam power remained the same. We describe the measurement results of the vacuum tube parameters in terms of the filament voltage tuning.

Four-point-bend tests on high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes after exposure to simulated LOCA conditions

Narukawa, Takafumi; Amaya, Masaki

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(7), p.782 - 791, 2020/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1724207

Fracture limit of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes under loss-of-coolant accident conditions

Narukawa, Takafumi; Amaya, Masaki

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(1), p.68 - 78, 2020/01

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1659873