Measurement of SRS reactor recirculation pump performance using pump motor power

摘要

In order to accurately predict reactor hydraulic behavior during a hypothetical Loss-of-Coolant-Accident (LOCA) the performance of reactor coolant pumps under off-design conditions must be understood. The LOCA of primary interest for the Savannah River Site (SRS) production reactors involves the aspiration of air into the recirculated heavy water flow as reactor tank inventory is lost (system temperatures are too low to result in significant flashing of water coolant into steam). Entrained air causes degradation in the performance of the large recirculation pumps. The amount of degradation is a parameter used in computer codes which predict the course of the accident. This paper describes the analysis of data obtained during in-reactor simulated LOCA tests, and presents the head degradation curve for the SRS reactor recirculation pumps. The greatest challenge of the analysis was to determine a reasonable estimate of mixture density at the pump suction. Specially designed three-beam densitometers were used to determine mixture density. Since it was not feasible to place them in the most advantageous location the measured pump motor power, along with other techniques (pressure corrected gamma densitometer void fraction), were used to calculate the average mixture density at the pump impeller. These techniques provided good estimates of pump suction mixture density. Measurements from more conventional instruments were used to arrive at the value of pump two-component head over a wide range of flows. The results were significantly different from previous work with commercial reactor recirculation pumps.