Phenomena Important in Liquid Metal Reactor Simulations
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is preparing for the future licensing of advanced reactors that will be very different from current light water reactors. Part of the NRC preparation strategy is to identify the simulation tools that will be used for confirmatory safety analysis which includes normal operation and abnormal conditions. This report advances that strategy for reactors with a fast neutron spectrum that use liquid metal coolants. This includes reactors using sodium, lead, or a lead-bismuth eutectic. Although all types are discussed in this report, the emphasis is on simulating sodium-cooled reactors as more information is available on those designs. The specific designs discussed in the report are a subset of many deigns being considered in the U.S. and elsewhere but they are considered the most likely to submit information to the NRC in the near future. The objective herein is to identify the dominant physical phenomena and modeling requirements expected for the simulation of liquid metal fast spectrum reactors. Phenomena are discussed in terms of normal and transient/accident conditions, and the corresponding modeling tools for neutronics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics. The study makes use of the experience with such concepts, for example, from the Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR-II) that ran for almost 30 years at Idaho National Laboratory; from recent conceptual design studies such as for the PRISM concept; and from similar technology-gap studies carried out recently for the Department of Energy. Lists of important phenomena were generated for normal operation and transients/accidents that will need to be simulated. These lists can be used by a panel of experts as the starting point for generating a phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT). The PIRT exercise would determine what research and development may be required before the necessary simulation tools are available.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); Nuclear Regulatory Commission/Non-NUREG
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0012704
- OSTI ID:
- 1460705
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-207816-2018-INRE; TRN: US1901670
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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