Heat Transfer for a Nuclear

Reactor
Review Heat Transfer Terms
Conduction-occurs across the medium
1
Convection-occurs between a surface
and a moving fluid
2
Radiation Heat Transfer-occurs
between two surfaces
3

' ' q = k
dt
dx

' ' q = h(T
c
T
b
)

' ' q =co T
s
4
T
sur
4
( )
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 (E
R
)
E
d
= 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
H
R
r
z

q
r
(r) =
2.32PE
d
nE
R
J
0
2.405r
R
|
\

|
.
|
' ' ' q
max
=
1
2Ha
2
q
r
(0)
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
=
P t
s
( )
P

P t
0
+ t
s
( )
P
Coolant Flow q=w(h
out
-h
in
)
Steam
T
out

Water
T
in

T
in

T
out

q
q
Recirculating
Plate fuel
X
a a+b
a
a+b

T
fuel
= T
max

' ' ' q a

2
2k
f
T
clad
= T
s

x a
b
T
s
T
c
( )
q =
T
max
T
c
a
2k
f
A
+
b
k
c
A
Cylinder
z
T
max

T
s

T
c

T
F


T
fuel
= T
max

' ' ' q r

2
4k
f
;
T
clad
=
T
s
ln(a + b) T
c
ln a (T
s
T
c
)ln r
ln 1+
b
a
|
\

|
.
|
a
a+b

q =
2tHk
c
(T
s
T
c
)
ln 1+
b
a
|
\

|
.
|
Transfer to the coolant




For a Cylinder b<<a

q =
T
max
T
b
R

R =
1
4tHk
f
+
b
2taHk
c
+
1
hA
fuel
coolant
Off the surface
Coolant Channels
Now you need to
remember more
heat transfer and
fluid mechanics
The heat transfer for
a channel is

h = C
k
D
e
|
\

|
.
|
Re
m
Pr
n
C = 0.042
P
D
0.024

Re =
Dv

;Pr =
v
o
;Nu =
hL
k
f
Other coolants
Gas cooled Helium
Pebble bed in development
Liquid sodium and potassium
Need corrosive resistant structure


Boiling Heat Transfer
B
u
l
k

b
o
i
l
i
n
g

ln q
T
Bubbly flow
Annular flow
The Boiling Crisis
ln q
T
Annular flow
Partial film
Full film
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
Classifications of operation
Normal
Operational transients
Upsets
Emergencies
Limiting Fault Conditions includes
Design basis accident DBA
Unprotected or beyond DBA
Engineered Safety Systems
The actions are
done as a result of
instrument signals
Reliability
Duplication
Diversity

Most common ESS
Alternate cooling
SCRAM - Tripping - insert control rods
to stop fission

Control
Cool
Contain
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
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.