Neutronic-thermalhydraulic coupling analysis of heat pipe failure accidents of a new type of megawatt heat pipe reactor

Abstract

Heat pipe cooled reactors featured with high energy density, long lifecycle, modularity, and compact structure could be ideal power sources for large unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs). In the early stage of reactor concept design, heat pipe failure accident is usually one of the design basis accidents that need to be considered. In this study, a set of transient analysis models for heat pipe failure accidents of a new type of megawatt heat pipe reactor is established. The models include the point kinetics model, Core Matrix module and Fuel-Heat Pipe module heat conduction models, and radiation heat transfer model for the inner core cavity. 2D-3D combined method is used to solve the heat conduction model in the Fuel-Heat Pipe module. Based on the models, a transient analysis code for heat pipe failure accidents is developed using FORTRAN. The models are separately validated based on the analytical solutions, the experimental data or the CFD results by FLUENT. Neutronic-thermalhydraulic coupling calculation is conducted in normal operation condition and heat pipe failure accidents. The peak temperatures of each region are below their melting points in all presumed heat pipe failure accidents which reflects the good inherent safety of the core. Meanwhile, the calculation results by the code are in good agreement with those of FLUENT, and the maximum relative error of the peak temperature does not exceed 1.5%. The code calculation time is 1/8 of FLUENT ensuring the accuracy of important parameters, effectively reducing the computation costs and improving the computation efficiency. The code also provides a basis for subsequent transient operation condition and typical accidents analysis of this reactor.