Multiphase simulation of hyperbaric steam-water jet inside liquid Pb-Bi eutectic environment

Numerical simulation analyses of LIFUS5/MOD2 experiment facility for hyperbaric steam-water jet inside liquid lead bismuth eutectic (LBE) were conducted using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Alchagirov surface tension correlation and Lee evaporation model were applied in Eulerian-Eulerian two-phase flow model. Benchmark study was performed by comparing the CFD results against experimental data. Four thermal-hydraulics phenomena of sensitivity analysis were established under three extended conditions. These include 1) argon zone compression risk, 2) pressure rising and initial pressure peak, 3) argon entrained by LBE fluctu-ation, and 4) LBE level rising and steam cavity diffusion path. Overall, CFD models have a great advantage simulating pressure change and pressure wave transfer with 0.37% maximum error. LBE level rising and the radial and even diffusion of steam cavity should happen simultaneously under steam generator tube rupture accident (SGTR). This study provides the engineering basis for Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) design to improve its safety margin.

Automated summary

This study conducted numerical simulations of hyperbaric steam-water jet inside liquid lead bismuth eutectic using computational fluid dynamics. The simulations were compared against experimental data and sensitivity analyses were performed to study different thermal-hydraulics phenomena. The results provide an engineering basis for improving the safety margin of Lead-cooled Fast Reactor design.