Acoustic detection of boiling in the Sodium Loop Safety Facility in-reactor experiment P1
Acoustic data were obtained from two high-temperature lithium niobate microphones on the loop background noise and transient pressure pulses during the Sodium Loop Safety Facility (SLSF) P1 in-reactor experiment. This experiment simulated an LMFBR loss-of-piping-integrity (LOPI) transient on a nineteen element, end-of-life, enriched-UO/sub 2/ fuel assembly. The microphones were exposed to liquid sodium at a distance 4.85 meters above the reactor core at temperatures between 315/sup 0/ and 590/sup 0/C. The distance and location of the microphones in the P1 Test Train provided an attenuative transmission path which was undesirable for optimum acoustic detection of sodium boiling and fuel failure. The data gathered on the loop background noise was observed to be dominated by pump and electrical noise at frequencies below 1.5 KHz and appeared to be dominated by flow induced local turbulence noise at higher frequencies. During the period of time that the sodium in the fuel assembly was at its saturation temperature 943/sup 0/C (1730/sup 0/F), as indicated by the wire wrap thermocouples, several discrete pulses were observed with peak-to-peak pressure between 3.3 kPa and 7.9 kPa and center frequencies between 360 and 550 Hz. The pulses occurred at two separate gradually increasing repetition rates. These observations appear to be consistent with the result of an impulsive forcing function interacting with a band passed Helmholtz resonator. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that sodium boiling occurred in the P1 fuel assembly, resulting in the formation of individual voids that collapsed upon reaching the subcooled sodium. These data provide pertinent information regarding the feasibility of sodium boiling detection and may provide additional insight into the dynamics of the void behavior.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., Ill. (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 7338214
- Report Number(s):
- ANL-CT-76-35; TRN: 76-021959
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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