CFD-based simulation techniques are evaluated using a simplified symmetric Monju model to study multi-dimensional mixing and heat transfer in the upper plenum during a turbine trip test. When the test starts and core outlet temperatures drop due to reactor shutdown, the cooler sodium is trapped near the bottom of the vessel and the hotter (less dense) primary sodium at the higher elevations stays largely stagnant for an extended period of time inhibiting natural circulation. However, the secondary flow through a set of holes on the inner barrel bypasses the thermally stratified region as a shorter path to the intermediate heat exchanger and improves the natural circulation flow rate to cool the core. The calculations with strict adherence to benchmark specifications predict a much shorter duration for thermal stratification in the upper plenum than the experimental data indicates. In this paper, the results of a parametric analysis are presented to address this discrepancy. Specifically, the role of the holes on the inner barrel is reassessed in terms of their ability to provide larger by-pass flow. Assuming inner barrel holes with rounded edge produces results more consistent with the experiments.
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