Corrosion/precipitation in non-isothermal and multi-modular LBE loop systems

Abstract

Precise simulations of all hydrodynamic conditions encountered in practical lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant loop systems by use of flowing conditions in the laboratory are difficult and expensive, if not impossible. Therefore it is important and necessary to develop corrosion models to predict corrosion behaviors at the design stage of practical LBE coolant systems and to properly interpret and apply experimental results from test loops. In the present study, we extended a kinetic corrosion model for a simple LBE loop to a model for a loop with multiple modules to include effects of geometry variations. The model is applied to an ideal loop with contractions and expansions and a test loop named ‘DELTA’ set up in the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Analyses show the combined effects of the axial geometry variations and the axial temperature profile on the corrosion/precipitation distribution in the entire loop. The present study illustrates systematically different dependence of corrosion behaviors on the hydraulic factors in an open pipe flow, a simple loop flow and a multi-modular loop flow.