Benchmarking of thermal-hydraulic loop models...energy sys. 2012

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Lead-alloys are very attractive nuclear coolants because of their low melting temperature, high boiling temperature, chemical stability and neutron transparency. In addition, Leadbismuth eutectic (LBE) itself is a very efficient spallation target for neutron generation via a high-energy proton accelerator. Thus, lead and lead-alloy coolants continue to be the subject of considerable research in the USA, Europe and Asia as well as the Russian Federation, focusing on accelerator-driven transmutation systems and lead and lead-alloy-cooled fast reactors (LFR). In 2007, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency published a comprehensive handbook on leadbismuth eutectic alloy and lead properties, materials compatibility, thermal hydraulics and technologies [1] to integrate available information on such heavy liquid metals (HLM). Meanwhile, a systematic study on HLM was proposed which covers thermal-hydraulic safety issues of lead-alloy-cooled advanced nuclear energy systems (LACANES). This study mainly addresses thermal-hydraulic behaviours of those LACANES under the steady-state forced and natural convection, which is of critical importance for the system design development effort, while such studies have been extensively carried out for sodium coolants. Experimental data can be examined and qualified for use in benchmarking of these models utilising large-scale lead-alloy coolant loop test facilities. Hence, the reference of benchmark is large-scale lead-bismuth (Pb-Bi) coolant loop test facility HELIOS (Heavy Eutectic liquid metal Loop for Integral test of Operability and Safety of PEACER1) of the Seoul National University in the Republic of Korea. According to the HELIOS test results, two phases of approach are suggested:
Phase I - Isothermal steady-state forced convection case
Phase II - Non-isothermal natural circulation case
Prior to the Phase I, a comparative study on the pressure loss coefficient of each part of HELIOS under isothermal conditions is performed as well. All thermo-physical properties of Lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant are based on the OECD/NEA LBE handbook. This report contains characteristics of the HELIOS, the specification of benchmark Phase I and method of benchmark and preliminary results from the participants mostly on the pressure
loss coefficient