Comparative assessment of thermophysical and

1,71

MB

thermohydraulic characteristics of lead, lead-bismuth and

72

stron

sodium coolants for fast reactors

4654

ID

International Atomic Energy Agency

2002

rok

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION1

2. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND 3

2.1. Sodium-cooled fast reactors3

2.2. Lead and lead-bismuth cooled reactor studies 9

2.3. Conclusions.16

References to Section 2 17

3. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF REACTOR COOLANTS.18

3.1. Physical properties 18

3.2. Chemical properties of sodium .22

3.3. Chemical properties of lead 23

References to Section 3 25

4. PRODUCTION OF SODIUM, LEAD AND BISMUTH.25

4.1. Sodium 25

4.2. Lead.26

4.3. Bismuth .27

References to Section 4 27

5. SODIUM AND LEAD TECHNOLOGIES28

5.1. Introduction.28

5.2. Sodium technology29

5.2.1. Impurities sources.29

5.2.2. Purification of sodium and cover gas .30

5.2.3. Control of impurities content in coolant and cover gas31

5.2.4. Corrosion processes in sodium .32

5.3. Lead technology32

5.3.1. Basic issues of technology32

5.3.2. Impurities contributors33

5.3.3. Cleaning from slag33

5.3.4. Corrosion processes in lead 34

5.3.5. Comparison between PbBi technology for submarine and Pb technology for NPP .35

References to Section 5 37

6. THERMOHYDRAULICS OF REACTOR CORE AND SOME ASPECTS OF FAST REACTOR

ENGINEERING 37

6.1. Introduction.37

6.2. Basic assessments .38

6.3. Hydrodynamics .40

6.4. Heat transfer 41

6.4.1. Basic relationships 41

6.4.2. Pin bundle heat transfer 43

6.5. Fast reactor engineering 45

6.5.1. Sodium-water interaction .45

6.5.2. Burning and Freezing of coolants.48

References to Section 6 53

7. RADIOACTIVITY AND TOXICITY OF COOLANTS 54

7.1. Sodium coolant radioactivity 54

7.2. Lead-bismuth and lead coolants radioactivity 55

7.3. Toxicity of lead 60

References to Section 7 61

8. COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF REACTOR COOLANTS . 62

References to Section 8 64

CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW 65