Fundamental Study on Thermo-Hydraulics during Start-Up in Natural Circulation Boiling Water Reactors, (I)

TLDR

Passive, simplified concepts for next‑generation LWRs, such as the natural circulation BWR, have been proposed. The study evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of the natural circulation BWR relative to current BWRs against next‑generation LWR requirements. Experimental investigations simulate normal and abnormal start‑up conditions to examine thermo‑hydraulic instabilities and compare start‑up behavior between thermal natural circulation boilers and the Dodewaard reactor. The study finds that start‑up thermo‑hydraulic instabilities—geysering, natural circulation, and density wave—can severely limit power‑up feasibility, and their driving mechanisms are inferred from experimental data.

Abstract

Recently, many concepts, in which passive and simplified functions are actively adapted, have been proposed for the next generation LWRs. The natural circulation BWR is one such proposal. In this paper, advantages and disadvantages of the natural circulation BWR are considered from the requirements for next generation LWRs as compared with current BWRs. It is pointed out from this consideration that a thermo-hydraulic instability, which may appear during start-up, greatly influences concept feasibility because its occurrence makes operation for raising power output difficult. Thermo-hydraulic instabilities are investigated experimentally under conditions simulating normal and abnormal start-up processes. It is clarified that three kinds of thermo-hydraulic instabilities may occur during start-up in the natural circulation BWR according to its procedure and reactor configuration, which are (1) geysering induced by condensation, (2) natural circulation instability induced by hydrostatic head fluctuation in steam separators and (3) density wave instability. Driving mechanisms of the geysering and the natural circulation instability, which have never understood enough, are inferred from the results. Finally, the difference of thermo-hydraulic behavior during start-up processes between thermal natural circulation boilers and the Dodewaard reactor is discussed.