TY - CONF
T1 - Study on eutectic melting behavior of control rod materials in core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors
T2 - 14th International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference, GLOBAL 2019 and Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference, TOP FUEL 2019
AU - Liu, Xiaoxing
AU - Morita, Koji
AU - Yamano, Hidemasa
N1 - Funding Information:
The present study is the result of "Technical development program on a fast reactor international cooperation, etc." entrusted to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The computation was mainly carried out using the computer facilities at Research Institute for Information Technology, Kyushu University.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © GLOBAL 2019 - International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference and TOP FUEL 2019 - Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference.All rights reserved.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Investigation of the eutectic reaction in a core disruptive accident of sodium cooled reactor is of importance since reactor criticality will be affected by the change in reactivity after eutectic reaction. In this study, we performed 1st step of validation analysis using a fast reactor safety analysis code, SIMMER-III, with the developed model based on a new series of experiments, where a B4C pellet was immersed into a molten stainless steel (SS) pool. The simulation results showed the general behavior of eutectic material formation measured in the experiments reasonably. The eutectic reaction consumes solid B4C and liquid SS, and then the liquid eutectic composition is produced at the early stage of reaction due to the high temperature of molten SS. Movement of the eutectic material in the molten pool leads to the redistribution of boron element. Molten SS pool then freezes to solid SS and movement of eutectic material is stopped by surrounding solid SS. Boron concentration in the pool was measured after molten SS freezes into a solid. Simulation results indicate that boron tends to accumulate in the upper part of the molten pool. This is attributed to the buoyancy force acting on lighter boron in the molten SS pool. A parametric study was also conducted by changing the initial temperature of B4C pellet and SS to investigate the temperature sensitivity on the eutectic reaction behavior.
AB - Investigation of the eutectic reaction in a core disruptive accident of sodium cooled reactor is of importance since reactor criticality will be affected by the change in reactivity after eutectic reaction. In this study, we performed 1st step of validation analysis using a fast reactor safety analysis code, SIMMER-III, with the developed model based on a new series of experiments, where a B4C pellet was immersed into a molten stainless steel (SS) pool. The simulation results showed the general behavior of eutectic material formation measured in the experiments reasonably. The eutectic reaction consumes solid B4C and liquid SS, and then the liquid eutectic composition is produced at the early stage of reaction due to the high temperature of molten SS. Movement of the eutectic material in the molten pool leads to the redistribution of boron element. Molten SS pool then freezes to solid SS and movement of eutectic material is stopped by surrounding solid SS. Boron concentration in the pool was measured after molten SS freezes into a solid. Simulation results indicate that boron tends to accumulate in the upper part of the molten pool. This is attributed to the buoyancy force acting on lighter boron in the molten SS pool. A parametric study was also conducted by changing the initial temperature of B4C pellet and SS to investigate the temperature sensitivity on the eutectic reaction behavior.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081080980&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85081080980&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Paper
AN - SCOPUS:85081080980
SP - 47
EP - 51
Y2 - 22 September 2019 through 27 September 2019
ER -