Thermal Characteristics of High Temperature Naturally Circulating Helium Cooling Loop

Abstract The paper deals with the process properties in terms of the heat transfer, i.e. the thermal performance of the thermal-process units within a helium loop intended for the testing of the decay heat removal (DHR) from the model of the gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR). The system is characterised by a natural circulation of helium, as a coolant, and assume the steady operating conditions of the circulation. The helium loop consists of four main components: the model of the gas-cooled fast reactor, the model of the heat exchanger for the decay heat removal, hot piping branch and cold piping branch. Using the thermal calculations, the thermal performance of the heat exchanger model and the thermal performance of the gas-cooled fast reactor model are determined. The calculations have been done for several defined operating conditions which correspond to the different helium flow rates within the system.