Conjugate heat transfer characteristics numerical simulation on steam generator tube of lead-cooled fast reactor

Abstract

The safety assessment of the Steam Generator Tube Rupture (SGTR) accident is a crucial step in the design process of the Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR). To begin with, it is necessary to simulate the steady-state heat transfer of the LFR Heat Exchanger (HX) in order to determine the initial conditions of the SGTR accident. In this study, the heat transfer characteristics of the fluids on both sides of the LFR HX are analyzed. The appropriate models are modified based on the heat transfer characteristics of liquid metal and boiling water. The accuracy of the boiling models is verified by comparing the simulation results with the outcomes of boiling heat transfer experiments. Additionally, the simulation results are compared with the results obtained from ATHLET calculation and empirical formulas. On the secondary side, the supercooled water undergoes heating until it reaches the superheated steam phase. The preheating section spans from 0 to 600 mm, the saturated boiling section ranges from 600 to 3000 mm, and the superheating section extends from 3000 to 6600 mm. Ultimately, the distributions of steady-state temperature, pressure, and vapor volume fractions of the LFR HX are determined, providing the necessary initial conditions for the occurrence of the SGTR accident.