Estimation of Mitigation Effects of Sodium Nanofluid for SGTR Accidents in SFR

Abstract

Studies on the suppression of the reactivity of sodium itself have been performed on the basis of the concept of suspended nanoparticles in liquid sodium (sodium nanofluid). According to the theoretical and experimental results of studies for sodium nanofluid, velocity and heat of sodium nanofluid reaction with water (sodium nanofluid/water reaction) are lower than those of the pure sodium/water reaction. The analytical model for the peak temperature of a sodium nanofluid/water reaction jet has been developed by the authors in consideration of these suppression effects. In this paper, the prediction method for mitigation effects on damage of adjacent tubes in steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) accidents is developed by applying this analytical model for the peak temperature of the reaction jet. On the assumption that the sodium nanofluid is used for the secondary coolant of sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), mitigation effects under the design basis accident (DBA) condition and the design extension condition (DEC) of SGTR are estimated by using this method. The results indicate a clear possibility to reduce the number of damaged tubes and to suppress the pressure generated in SGTR accidents by using sodium nanofluid as the secondary coolant.