PROBLEMS OF ATOMIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Series: Nuclear and Reactor Constants

since 1971

Русский (РФ)

ISSN 2414-1038 (online)

Authors & Affiliations

Alekseev V.V., Konovalov M.A., Sorokin A.P., Torbenkova I.Yu.
A.I. Leypunsky Institute for Physics and Power Engineering, Obninsk, Russia

Alekseev V.V. – Chief Scientist, Dr. Sci. (Tech.), A.I. Leypunsky Institute for Physics and Power Engineering. Contacts: 1, pl. Bondarenko, Obninsk, Kaluga region, Russia, 249033. Tel.: +7(484)399-42-34; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Konovalov M.A. – Thermal engineer 2 categories, A.I. Leypunsky Institute for Physics and Power Engineering.
Sorokin A.P. – Chief Scientist, Dr. Sci. (Tech.), A.I. Leypunsky Institute for Physics and Power Engineering.
Torbenkova I.Yu. – Deputy Head of the Laboratory, A.I. Leypunsky Institute for Physics and Power Engineering.

Abstract

In the primary circuits of the currently developed plants with sodium coolant, the main source of pol-lution is oxygen, purification systems are located in reactor vessel, temperature parameters 550°C and above. In these conditions, it is suggested to use hot traps to increase the capacity of the primary circuit cleaning systems. In this paper the methods for determining the characteristics of hot traps operating in the following modes are considered: for sodium purification at nominal parameters; for sodium purification in stop modes with sodium heating at the trap entrance; for sodium purification in modes of transition from stop mode to nominal parameters. It is shown that a hot trap designed for operation in all modes (special attention is paid to stop modes) will require large energy costs for heating sodium during the power set and reaching nominal parameters after accidental contamination. This complicates the design of the trap and it arrangement will become impossible in the reactor vessel. Consequently, the use of heating does not solve the problems of purification duration at the transition from stop mode to nominal parameters and transition to nominal parameters after abnormal contamination. Preliminary assessments of the optimization of the hot traps operation modes which allow the transition from the stop mode with high oxygen content (25 ppm) to the nominal mode without additional heating have been carried out. The "high-speed cleaning" mode proposed by the authors will allow to shorten the cleaning time in comparison with the standard cleaning mode from ~940 h to ~160 h when power is increased after commissioning works, and from ~630 h to ~250 h when the power is increased after abnormal contamination.

Keywords
hot traps, purification systems, sources of impurities, sodium oxide, reactor power, capacity, "high-speed cleaning", nominal mode, stop mode

Article Text (PDF, in Russian)

References

UDC 621.039.534

Problems of Atomic Science and Technology. Series: Nuclear and Reactor Constants, 2018, issue 4, 4:19