HeatTransferfora

NuclearReactor

P.K.MALHOTRA
HeadThermalhydraulicsGroup
DirectorateOfSafety

Heat Transfer for a Nuclear

Reactor

Review Heat Transfer Terms

Conduction-occurs across the medium
dt
1 q k
dx

Convection-occurs between a surface

and a moving fluid

2 q h(Tc Tb )

Radiation Heat Transfer-occurs

between two surfaces
4
4
3

s sur

Subjects
Heat generation
Decay heat

Transfer in the elements

Plate
Cylinder

Transfer to the Coolant

Coolant channels
Other coolants

Boiling Regimes
Design Criteria
Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA)

Heat Generation
200 MeV/ fission (ER)
Ed = Energy deposited in locally ~180MeV

Number of fissions in a core are a

function of the FLUX(
FLUX is a function of position in the
core r,z

Heat Generation
2.32PE d 2.405r
qr (r)
J 0

R
nE R
1

qmax
q (0)
H
2 r
2Ha

r
z

Decay heat
Heat is released as
the accumulated
fission products
decay
The amount of heat
is fission products
to the power level
P t 0 ,t s P t s P t 0 t s

P
P
P

Coolant Flow q=w(hout-hin)

Recirculating
Tout

Steam
Tout

q
q
Tin
Water
Tin

Plate fuel
a+b

Tfuel

xa
Ts Tc
b
T max Tc
q
a
b

2k f A k c A
Tclad Ts

T(x)

qa 2
Tmax
2k f

aa+b
X

Cylinder
TF

Tc
a

a+b
Tfuel

qr 2
Tmax
;
4k f

Tclad

Ts ln(a b) Tc ln a (Ts Tc )ln r

b
ln 1

Ts
Tmax

2Hkc (Ts Tc )
q

b
ln 1

a
10

11

12

Axialtemperatureprofile

13

Axialtemperatureprofile
AXIALTEMPERATUREPROFILE

14

Transfer to the coolant

Tmax Tb
q
R
For a Cylinder b<<a

1
b
1
R

4
Hk f 2aHk c hA
fuel

coolant

Offthesurface
15

Coolant Channels
Now you need to
remember more
heat transfer and
fluid mechanics
The heat transfer for
a channel is
D

hL
Re
;Pr ;Nu

kf

k m n
h C Re Pr
De
P
C 0.042 0.024
D

16

Other coolants
Gas cooled Helium
Pebble bed in development

Liquid sodium and potassium

Need corrosive resistant structure

17

Localboiling

Bulkboiling

Boiling Heat Transfer

Annularflow
Bubblyflow
T

lnq

18

The Boiling Crisis

Fullfilm

T
Partialfilm

Annularflow

lnq

19

LOCA
Address component breakdown or a
combination of component breakdowns
that lead to interruption of normal
cooling
When an interruption occurs, the fission
process is terminated, however heat
generation continues

20

Classifications of operation
Normal
Operational transients
Upsets
Emergencies
Limiting Fault Conditions includes
Design basis accident DBA
Unprotected or beyond DBA

21

Engineered Safety Systems

The actions are
done as a result of
instrument signals
Reliability
Duplication
Diversity

22

Most common ESS

Alternate cooling
SCRAM - Tripping - insert control rods
to stop fission
Safety functions
Control
Cool
Contain

23

Some examples
Millstone 1(660 MWe BWR) - corrosion of
condensers leads to sea water to enter primary
cooling circuit
Browns ferry fire -(2 1065 MWe BWR 1 in
construction) fire affected 2000 cables cause about
$10 M
Three mile island- relief valve stuck open
Ginna 490 MWe PWR- rupture in a steam generator
tube
Mihama-2 - 500 MWe PWR rupture in a steam
generator tube

24

More examples
Chornobyl-Chernobyl
Chalk River - NRX- control rod/ operator error
forerunner to the CANDU
Windscale fire- UK large air cooled pile designed
for Pu burst fuel cartridge
St. Laurent - French
Hunterston scotland - Seawater in the reactor
vessel
Hinckley point
EBR-1 and Fermi -1 fast breeder.

25