Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Investigation of condensation with non-condensable gas in natural circulation loop for passive safety system

  • Received : 2022.08.08
  • Accepted : 2022.11.26
  • Published : 2023.03.25
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Abstract

The system-integrated modular advanced reactor 100 (SMART100), an integral-type pressurized water small modular reactor, is based on a novel design concept for containment cooling and radioactive material reduction; it is known as the containment pressure and radioactivity suppression system (CPRSS). There is a passive cooling system using a condensation with non-condensable gas in the SMART CPRSS. When a design basis accident such as a small break loss of coolant accident (SBLOCA) occurs, the pressurized low containment area (LCA) of the SMART CPRSS leads to steam condensation in an incontainment refuelling water storage tank (IRWST). Additionally, the steam and non-condensable gas mixture passes through the CPRSS heat exchanger (CHX) submerged in the emergency cooldown tank (ECT) that can partially remove the residual heat. When the steam and non-condensable gas mixture passes through the CHX, the non-condensable gas can interrupt the condensation heat transfer in the CHX and it degrades CHX performance. In this study, condensation heat transfer experiments of steam and non-condensable gas mixture in the natural circulation loop were conducted. The pressure, temperature, and effects of the non-condensable gas were investigated according to the constant inlet steam flow rate with non-condensable gas injections in the loop.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful for the technical assistance provided by Y. G. Bang, C. J. Seo, and Y. Y. Choi. This work was supported by the SMART Standard Design Change Approval Project funded by KAERI, KHNP, and K.A.CARE.

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