Predictions of wind effects on RVACs performance

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:7129822

Tzanos, C P ^[1]; Hunsbedt, A ^[2]

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1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
2. General Electric Co., San Jose, CA (United States)

One of the main safety features of current liquid-metal reactor (LMR) designs is the utilization of decay heat removal systems that remove heat by natural convection. The reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system (RVACS) removes decay heat by natural circulation of air in the gap between the guard vessel and a duct wall surrounding the guard vessel. The reactor heat is released to the atmosphere through multiple stacks. The RVACS performance is a function of the pressure difference between airflow inlet and outlet (driving pressure head), of the air density variation along the flow path, and of the pressure loss characteristics of this path. The pressure difference between inlet and outlet can be affected by wind speed and direction. The objective of this work was to analyze the effects of wind on the RVACS driving pressure head of an advanced LMR (ALMR) design based on the PRISM concept. More specifically, pressure distributions around the walls of the RVACS stacks were computed with the computer code COMMIX for wind speeds varying from 2.25 m/s (5 mile/h) to 26.8 m/s (60 mile/h) and for three wind directions. These pressure distributions were used to determine driving pressure head gains or losses as functions of wind speed and direction. One of the main safety features of current liquid-metal reactor (LMR) designs is the utilization of decay heat removal systems that remove heat by natural convection. The reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system (RVACS) removes decay heat by natural circulation of air in the gap between the guard vessel and a duct wall surrounding the guard vessel. The reactor heat is released to the atmosphere through multiple stacks. The RVACS performance is a function of the pressure difference between airflow inlet and outlet (driving pressure head), of the air density variation along the flow path, and of the pressure loss characteristics of this path. The pressure difference between inlet and outlet can be affected by wind speed and direction.

• OSTI ID: 7129822
• Report Number(s): CONF-931160-; CODEN: TANSAO
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Vol. 69; Conference: American Nuclear Society (ANS) winter meeting, San Francisco, CA (United States), 14-18 Nov 1993; ISSN 0003-018X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
PRESSURE VESSELS
AFTER-HEAT REMOVAL
NATURAL CONVECTION
PRESSURE DROP
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
WIND
CONTAINERS
CONVECTION
COOLING SYSTEMS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENERGY TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER
MASS TRANSFER
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
REMOVAL
210500* - Power Reactors
Breeding