Simulation of Steady States of Helium Loop at Long Time Scenarios

Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Energy Machinery, Nám. slobody 17, 812 31 Bratislava, Slovakia

^* Corresponding author: frantisek.vilagi@stuba.sk

Abstract

The natural circulation helium loop is an experimental facility designed for the research of the possibility of utilizing natural convection cooling for the case of decay heat removal from a fast nuclear reactor. This concept would bring an improved automated safety system for future nuclear power plants operating a gas-cooled reactor. The article presents a new possibility of direct use of energy conservation laws in a 1D simulation of natural circulation loops. The calculation is performed by a triple iteration process, nested into each other. The results of the calculations showed good agreement with the measurements at steady state. A calculation with the proposed model at unsteady state is not yet possible, especially because of the exclusion of heat accumulation into the material.