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

since 1971

Русский (РФ)

ISSN 2414-1038 (online)

THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF LIQUID METAL COOLANTS OF FAST REACTORS – AN OVERVIEW OF EXPERIMENTAL DATA

EDN: MVCQWY

Authors & Affiliations

Kruglov A.B., Kharitonov V.S.
National Research Nuclear University Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Moscow, Russia

Kruglov A.B. – Associate Professor, Cand. Sci. (Phys.-Math.)
Kharitonov V.S. – Associate professor, Cand. Sci. (Tech.). Contacts: 31, Kashirskoe sh., Moscow, 115409. Tel.: +7 (499) 324-77-77; е-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Abstract

The article is devoted to a review of published experimental data and calculation recommendations on the thermophysical properties of sodium and lead coolants, which are necessary for substantiating the thermohydraulic characteristics of fast reactors with liquid metal coolant, as well as for analyzing their safety using computer codes. The article analyzes the consistency of experimental data provided in various sources on the density, isobaric heat capacity, dynamic viscosity and thermal conductivity of sodium of varying purity in the range from the melting point to the boiling point at a pressure of 0.1 MPa, as well as at elevated pressures. Available information on the thermophysical properties of liquid and gaseous sodium on the saturation line at high temperatures and pressures up to the critical point is considered. Available data on the thermophysical properties of molten lead in the temperature range from the melting point to temperatures close to the boiling point at atmospheric pressure are considered. Information on the experimental methods used is provided. The uncertainty of the experimental data on the density, heat capacity, dynamic viscosity and thermal conductivity of molten lead is discussed. The results of high-temperature measurements of the heat capacity of lead, obtained by pulsed heating method at temperatures of 2000–5000 K and pressures of 0.1 MPa – 0.5 GPa, are presented. The updated experimental data of the authors of the article on the effect of metallic impurities in lead on its thermal conductivity are presented. It is noted that the thermal conductivity of lead with a metallic impurity content of 0.00385 wt. % is approximately 2 % higher than the thermal conductivity of lead with an impurity content of 0.0092 wt. %.

Keywords
liquid metal coolants of fast reactors, thermophysical properties of sodium and lead, density, heat capacity, dynamic viscosity, coefficient of thermal conductivity, experimental data error

Article Text (PDF, in Russian)

References

UDC 621.311.25(06)

Problems of Atomic Science and Technology. Series: Nuclear and Reactor Constants, 2026, no. 2, 2:19