Numerical Modeling of Lead Oxidation in Controlled Lead Bismuth Eutectic Systems: Chemical Kinetics and Hydrodynamic Effects

摘要

Using liquid Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) as coolant in nuclear systems has been studied for more than 50 years. And LBE has many unique nuclear, thermo physical and chemical attributes which are attractive for practical application. But, corrosion is one of the greatest concerns in using liquid Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) as spallation target in the Accelerator-driven Transmutation of Waste (ATW) program. Los Alamos National Laboratory has designed and built the Liquid Lead-Bismuth Materials Test Loop (MTL) to study the materials behavior in a flow of molten LBE. A difference of 100°C was designed between the coldest and the hottest parts at a nominal flow rate of 8.84GPM. Liquid LBE flow was activated by a mechanical sump pump or by natural convection. In order to maintain a self-healing protective film on the surface of the stainless steel pipe, a certain concentration of oxygen has to be maintained in the liquid metal. Therefore, it is of importance to understand what the oxygen concentrations are in the LBE loop related to the corrosion effects on the metal surface, the temperature profiles, the flow rates, and diffusion rates through the metal surface. The chemical kinetics also needs to be fully understood in the corrosion processes coupled with the hydrodynamics. The numerical simulation will be developed and used to analyze the system corrosion effects with different kind of oxygen concentrations, flow rates, chemical kinetics, and geometries. The hydrodynamics modeling of using computational fluid dynamics will provide the necessary the levels of oxygen and corrosion products close to the boundary or surface. This paper presents an approach towards the above explained tasks by analyzing the reactions between the Lead and oxygen at a couple of sections in the MTL. Attempt is also made to understand the surface chemistry by choosing an example model and estimating the near wall surface concentration values for propane and oxygen.