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Agbevanu KT, Debrah SK, Arthur EM, Shitsi E. Liquid metal cooled fast reactor thermal hydraulic research development: A review. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16580. [PMID: 37287616 PMCID: PMC10241851 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The growing interest in fast reactors demands further innovative technologies to enhance their safety and reliability. Understanding thermal hydraulic activities required for advanced reactor technology in design and development is key. However, knowledge of Heavy Liquid Metal (HLM) coolants technology is not mature. The liquid metal-cooled facilities are required experimental platforms for studying HLM technology. As such, efficient thermal hydraulic experimental result is important in the accurate validation of numerical results. In this vein, there is a need to closely review existing thermo-hydraulic studies in HLM test facilities and the test sections. This review aims to assess existing Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) research facilities, numerical and validation works and Liquid Metal-cooled Fast Reactor (LMFR) databases around the world in the last two decades. Thus, recent thermal hydraulic research studies on experimental facilities and numerical research that support the design and development of LFRs are discussed. This review paper highlights thermal hydraulic issues and developmental objectives of HLM, briefly describes experimental facilities, experimental campaigns and numerical activities, and identifies research key findings, achievements and future research direction in HLM cooled reactors. This review will enhance knowledge and improve advanced nuclear reactor technology that ensures a sustainable, secure, clean and safe energy future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kafui Tsoeke Agbevanu
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Computer Science, Ho Technical University, P. O. Box HP 217, Ho, Ghana
| | - Seth Kofi Debrah
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana
- Nuclear Power Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box LG 80, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Emmanuel Maurice Arthur
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana
- Nuclear Power Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box LG 80, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Edward Shitsi
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana
- Nuclear Research Centre, National Nuclear Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box LG 80, Legon, Accra, Ghana
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Reale Hernandez C, Grishchenko D, Kudinov P, Wallenius J, Luxat J. Development of a CFD-based model to simulate loss of flow transients in a small lead-cooled reactor. NUCLEAR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2022.111773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Tarantino M, Roelofs F, Shams A, Batta A, Moreau V, Di Piazza I, Gershenfeld A, Planquart P. SESAME project: advancements in liquid metal thermal hydraulics experiments and simulations. EPJ NUCLEAR SCIENCES & TECHNOLOGIES 2020. [DOI: 10.1051/epjn/2019046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid metal cooled reactors are envisaged to play an important role in the future of nuclear energy production because of their possibility to use natural resources efficiently and to reduce the volume and lifetime of nuclear waste. Sodium and Liquid lead (-alloys) are considered the short and long term solution respectively, as coolant in GEN-IV reactor. Thermal-hydraulics of liquid metals plays a key role in the design and safety assessments of these reactors. Therefore, this is the main topic of a large European collaborative program (the Horizon 2020 SESAME) sponsored by the European Commission. This paper will present the progress in the project with respect to liquid metal cooled reactor thermal-hydraulics (liquid metal heat transfer, fuel assembly thermal-hydraulics, pool thermal-hydraulics, and system thermal-hydraulics). New reference data, both experimental and high-fidelity numerical data is being generated. And finally, when considering the system scale, the purpose is to validate and improve system thermal-hydraulics models and codes, but also to further develop and validate multi-scale approaches under development.
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