ABSTRACT
Prototype Fast Breeder Test Reactor (PFBR) Steam Generator is once through steam
generator in which water flows from bottom to top in 547 tubes, changing its state from highly
subcooled to superheated state as it receives heat from sodium flowing from top to bottom in the shell
side. Depressurisation of steam generator from the dump valve provided at bottom is protective
action. It prevents further possibility of water steam leak into sodium and subsequent sodium - water
reaction. To perform depressurisation transient analysis of PFBR appropriate thermal hydraulic
modeling of SG is essential. Correct thermal hydraulic modelling needs simulation of sodium system,
steam water system with different states from highly subcooled to sjperheated, coupling between
sodium and steam-water system, SG tube and shell and different vake action. The computer code
DPPFBR is developed with capability to simulate all these systems and phenomena encountered
during transient. Different models of the code have been validated and code has been used for
analysing depressurisation transient.
This paper describes various models used in the code and results of analysis for typical
scenario.
INTRODUCTION
PFBR is a 1263 MWt, 500 MWe fast breeder reactor power plant. Super heated steam at 17.17
MPa is produced in eight modules of secondary sodium heated stecim generators (SG). The plant
consists of two secondary sodium loops, each feeding four steam generator modules. Each steam
generator is of straight vertical, once through type, with evaporator and super heater integrated in
the same unit. The steam generator consists of 547 tubes of 17.2 mm OD, 2.3 mm thick and 23 meter
long attached to top and bottom tube sheets. Water-steam flows through the tubes from bottom ends
and sodium flows in the shell side from top to bottom. In order to ensure stable operation of SG under
all conditions, orifices are provided at the bottom of each tube which gives rise to 1 MPa friction
pressure drop for the feed water flow at nominal full power condition. The top and bottom tube sheets
are relatively thick (150 mm). In order b protect these from thermal shocks, 4 number of 10 mm
thermal shields have also been provided for both the tube sheet.
One of the major risks in sodium heated SG are possibility of water/steam leak into the sodium
and consequent sodium-water reaction. However, efficient water-steam leak detection (into sodium)
system is used to detect leaks (~ 10.1 gm/s) and initiate protective actions, which prevents further
sodium-water reactions. The main protective actions envisaged is to cut the feed water supply, isolate
the SG unit main steam header and depressurisation of the SG through steam-water dump valves at
the feed water inlet end of the SG. Fig 1 shows the schematic of a SG module along with the various
isolation valves. All the valves involved in these actions are quick acting gate valves powered by
pneumatic motive fluids. The isolation valves V1 and V2 are normally open and the dump valves V3
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and V4 are normally closed. The steam-water mixture dumped during depressurisation is diverted to
dump tank where steam and water are separated and the steam vented to the atmosphere. Due to
the design requirements of keeping the dump tank (DPT) at the lowest elevation below the SG and
the steam to be vented out into atmosphere at the highest elevation in the SG/turbine buildings, a
vent line length of 35 m to 40 m is envisaged. In order to have a high reliability for the dumping on a
demand, the dump valves are duplicated. This paper describes analysis done using DPPFBR with
one dump valve open.
DESCRIPTION OF MODEL
For appropriate thermal hydraulic modeling of steam generator, it is necessary to simulate sodium
system, steam-water system, steam generator tubes and shell, coupling between sodium and steam
water system, air system and valves in the system. The computer code DPPFBR is developed in
modular form, representing various phenomena and systems described above with each of its
module validated separately. Brief description of various modules is as fo lows:
Continuity Equation
dt +
dz
Energy Equation
A +
dt dz *
where Q is heat input from the slab to which the fluid control volume is connected.
Momentum Equation
G2A\
+ A +Apg + F
dZ dZ ** dZ
Friction factors required for the calculation of F are compuied based on initial pressure
disturtion, which is updated during the transient based on Reynolds numbers and Matinelli-Nelson
two-phase flow. Computation of pump shaft work is described in the dump model.
Equation of State
P=P{h,p)
OGO
Equation of state in the above form is used to compute pressure in the control volume
through iterative procedure forsubcooled, saturated and superheated conditions.
Various light water properties are fed in the form of tables generated by computer code
H2OPROP[1]
NaHYD: Hydrodynamic equation solved is energy conservation equations. Sodium inlet flow, inlet
temperature and pressure are assumed constant. It considers energy transport b steam generator
tube and loss from steam generator shell by interface with heat slab module. Sodium properties are
calculated using sodium property routine [2]. Pressure and flow are used as boundary condition. The
system can be divided into 100 volumes.
HSLAB : This module solves two dimensional heat conduction equation for solid structures like tube
and wall and obtain temperature distribution in them. Appropriate boundary conditions are obtained
from connected sodium or steam-water volumes, simulating energy transport from/to them.
Temperature dependent solid properties are given in form of tables.
The conduction equation solved is as follows:
dk dT dk dT d2T 1 dT d2T dT
dr dr dz dz dr'2
[_ dr A. d>
K dr
This equation is solved using generalized finite difference method and using appropriate boundary
conditions.
HTCWAT : This module computes heat transfer coefficient using pressure, flow, temperature and
quality as input from connected steam water volume to the heat slab and heat slab temperatures. It
covers entire range from subcooled to superheated, that steam-water in the tube can experience
during transient. It also includes critical heat flux models.
SCENARIO
Scenario assumed for the analysis is as follows:
1. Dump valve starts opening at time = 0.0 seconds and opens linearly in 3 seconds.
2. Feed water valve and system valve starts closing at time = 0.0 seconds and closes linearly in 3
seconds
3. Sodium isolation valve closes in 10 seconds.
DESCRETISATION
The nodalisation scheme used for the analysis is shown in Fig. 2. The steam-water system is divided
into 12 control volumes and 13 junctions. Sodium system is divided into 6 control volumes. 4 heat
slabs are used connecting sodium system and steam-water system. While 6 heat slabs are used to
simulation of losses from shell side.
CONCLUSIONS
Computer code DPPFBR is developed that can simulate both sodium and steam-water
systems. It has been validated for some of its models and PFBR Steam generator is anlysed for
blowdown from dump valve for one scenario. Further validation can be done after FBTR data is
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available. Time for prerssure to come down to 0.5 MPa was found to be about 54 seconds.Further
studies with different descretisation and and scenerios need to be carried.
REFERENCES:
1.0 H.G. Lele and S.K. Gupta, H2OPROP- Computer Code for Determination of Light Water
Properties, BARC/1999/E/018, 1990
2.0 S.P Damodaran, K Velusamy and P. Selvaraj, Propeties of Stainlesss Steel, Carbon, Steel,
Sodium, Air, Argon and Nitrogen, PFBR/30000/DN/1005/R-A,1986
3.0 H. Pfau, I. Toth and G. Sonneck, Investigation of Phase Separation Models in RELAP4/MOD6,
IAEA Workshop on IAEA Program in Use of Computer Codes for Safety Analysis, varna,
Bulgaria, 28 May-June 1 1984, 1984.
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Steam Line
G
10 m long
Vent 166 mm ID
v2
Sodium inlet
Steam Generator
OD 855 mm and 83 l m m
Sodium Outlet
Vi
V. v4
20 m long
^
155 mm ID Main Feed Water
Inlet line
Depressuriser Tank
Steam piping
Upper plenum Steam Valve
Steam Flow
! I' i
Supper heated
2-O
2-<P
hk 4
l-O
Lower plenum
Feeder Valve
Na Outlet TDV
Feed Flow
V 13
12 10 Dump Valve
11 10
10
DPT
Fig. 2 PFBR SG DEPRESSURISATION ANALYSIS : NODALISATION
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0 10 20 30 40 50 6C
0 10 20 30 40 50 6C l '
800 - I ' 1 1 1
1 ' I I
700 - 700
700 -
Feed Flow Valve (in- 10)
600 - 600
600 -
\
Steam Flow
il * Flow to DPT (jn. 11)
500 -
\ Sodium Flow
- 500
500 -
I - 500
400 -
;i 400
1 400 - - 400
5
JO
300 - 'I 300
-low
300 -
\ \
- 300 LL !lI 200
200 -
200 -
j \
^- 200
100 -
il
:\ -
100 - -
i
0 -
".: \
- 0
0 - 7* V - 0
100 - 1 i i i -100
-100 - I 10 20 30 40 50 60
10 20 30 40 50 60
Time (s)
T i m e (s)
F i g . 3 PFBR SG D E P R E S S U R I S A T I O N A N A L Y S I S :BOUNDARY C O N D I T I O N S FLOW Fig. 4 PFBR SG DEPRESSURISATION ANALYSIS :FLOW FROM DUMP VALVE
0 20 40 60 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
800 - 800
700 - 700
600
o
a. 10 -
CD
400 - 400
2
5. Volume 1
300 -
Q_ volume 2
*Volume 3
T volume 4
100
40 60
Time in sec 10 20 30 40 50
Time (s)
Fig. 5 PFBR SG DEPRESSURISATION ANALYSIS :UPPER VOLUME PRESSURES
Fig. 6 PFBR SG DEPRESSURISATION ANALYSIS : UPPER VOLUME TEMPERATURE
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10 20 30 40 50 60
700 700 600
O
^.550-1 550
CD
*~**tf>r^
350- 350
30 40 50 60
10 20 30 40 50 60
Time (s)
Time (s)
Fig. 7 PFBR SG DEPRESSURISATION ANALYSIS : SG TUBE TEMPERATURE Fig. 8 PFBR SG DEPRESSURISATION ANALYSIS : SG SHELL TEMPERATURE
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
700- 700 14 I 1 1 1 1 . 1 1 1 1 (-14
-Volume 1
650- Volume 2 650
12 -12
- Volume 3 DPPFBR Prediction
-Volume 4 A Experiment data
-Volume 5 10 -10
-Volume 6
a, 550-
8 -8
S 500 H 500
o.
-6
H 450-
-4
400
-2
350- 350
300'
20 30 40 50 60 10 20 30 40 50 60