Blockages in LMFBR fuel assemblies: a review

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:5232755

Han, J T; Fontana, M H

Experimental and analytical investigations performed in the United States, Germany, Great Britain, and Japan on the effects of partial flow blockages in liquid-metal fast breeder reactor fuel assemblies are reviewed and the results presented. Generalized models are developed from experimental data obtained for blockages of various sizes, shapes, and porosity, with and without pins, utilizing water and sodium as the coolant. Generally, the recirculating flow in the wake behind a blockage is a relatively effective heat transfer mechanism. Experiments where sodium boiling was made to occur behind the blockages indicate that boiling is stable for the configurations tested; these results are predicted by analytical models. Blockages at the inlet of fuel assemblies tend to have insignificant effects in the fuel assembly unless flow is reduced grossly and therefore would be detectable. Blockages in the heat generating zone have to be quite large to cause sodium boiling under normal reactor operating conditions.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5232755
• Report Number(s): CONF-771120-14
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500 -- Power Reactors
Breeding
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
BREEDER REACTORS
DOCUMENT TYPES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FLOW BLOCKAGE
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
REVIEWS
SAFETY