Reactor Pressure Vessel Temperature Analysis of Candidate Very High Temperature Reactor Designs

摘要

Analyses were performed to determine maximum temperatures in the reactor pressure vessel for two potential Very-High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) designs during normal operation and during a depressurized conduction cooldown accident. The purpose of the analyses was to aid in the determination of appropriate reactor vessel materials for the VHTR. The designs evaluated utilized both prismatic and pebble-bed cores that generated 600 MW of thermal power. Calculations were performed for fluid outlet temperatures of 900 and 950 DGC, corresponding to the expected range for the VHTR. The analyses were performed using the RELAP5-3D and PEBBED-THERMIX computer codes. Results of the calculations were compared with preliminary temperature limits derived from the ASME pressure vessel code. Because PEBBED-THERMIX has not been extensively validated, confirmatory calculations were also performed with RELAP5-3D for the pebble-bed design. During normal operation, the predicted axial profiles in reactor vessel temperature were similar with both codes and the predicted maximum values were within 2 DGC. The trends of the calculated vessel temperatures were similar during the depressurized conduction cooldown accident. The maximum value predicted with RELAP5-3D during the depressurized conduction cooldown accident was about 40 DGC higher than that predicted with PEBBED. This agreement is considered reasonable based on the expected uncertainty in either calculation. The differences between the PEBBED and RELAP5-3D calculations were not large enough to affect conclusions concerning comparisons between calculated and allowed maximum temperatures during normal operation and the depressurized conduction cooldown accident.