THE COOLING SYSTEM OF THE PERIODIC PULSED REACTOR

Abstract

The paper proposes the configuration and composition equipment of the cooling system of the designed periodic pulsed reactor (PPR) of high power. The special features of the PPR are a small flow section, a large heating of the coolant in the power pulse and the impossibility of useful use of thermal energy in the periodic mode of operation. Liquid lithium is proposed as a coolant and heat is discharged through air heat exchangers (AHE). The goal was to achieve compactness and low power consumption, the ability to work with frequent stops and optimize the operation of equipment in pulse modes. For this purpose, high-temperature AHE with a small heat exchange surface and forced air cooling are used, the circulation circuit is divided into two parts - the reactor circuit and the AHE circuit with two circulation pumps and a common drain tank. The separation of the circuit allows to independently perform the operations of starting, stopping and heating the circuits in a periodic mode. The drain tank limits the composition of the equipment exposed to temperature pulses. Numerical studies of the temperature regime of the coolant in the equipment of the PDR cooling system are carried out. The calculations were performed using the TURBOFLOW code in two-dimensional terms for all the main elements of the equipment. Quasi-stationary (nominal and partial power levels) and pulse modes of operation are considered. Calculated characteristics for forced and natural air circulation are obtained. The limits of the air circulation modes under the conditions of non-freezing of the coolant are determined. The obtained values of the maximum temperatures of the coolant: in the pulsed mode is 750 °C, in the quasi-stationary mode - 490 °C with an average power of 15 MW, air flow of 150 m3/s and the size of the AHE in the plan of 5×5 m, 100 panels of 1.08×0.025×5 m.