Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Thermohydraulics of Alkaline Liquid-Metal Coolant: A Retrospective-Perspective Look

  • Published:
Atomic Energy Aims and scope

Sixty years of experience in mastering alkaline liquid metals jointly with industry institutes, the Academy of Sciences, and engineering design agencies developing Nuclear Power Facilities (NPF) has culminated in the development of the scientific foundations for their use in nuclear power and the scientific substantiation of the hydraulic parameters and highly efficient technological processes ensuring successful operation of fundamentally new NPF. The primary directions of research were the hydrodynamics of and heat transfer in channels with complicated shapes and in nominal and deformed fuel-rod assemblies, including the blocking of flow sections, and the mechanisms of turbulent heat and mass transfer, interchannel mixing of the coolant, and the hydrodynamics of collector systems in reactors and heat-exchange equipment. Significant attention was devoted to heat exchange in intermediate heat-exchangers and steam generators of reactor facilities and the boiling and condensation of liquid metals. Questions concerning the generalization and experimental thermophysical databases, development of heat pipes, thermophysics of thermionic converters, high-temperature space NPF, and thermonuclear plants were examined. Future studies resulting from the need to improve the safety, cost-effectiveness, and reliability of developed nuclear power facilities are formulated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Thermophysical Bench Base of the Nuclear Power Industry in Russia and Kazakhstan, RFYaTs-VNIIEF, Sarov (2016).

  2. LMFR Core and Heat Exchanger Thermohydraulic Design: Former USSR and Present Russian Approaches, IAEATECDOC-1060, IAEA, Vienna (1999).

  3. N. N. Ponomarev-Stepnoi, “Two-component nuclear power system with a closed nuclear fuel cycle based on BN and VVER reactors,” At. Energ., 120, No. 4, 183–191 (2016); Atomic Energy, 120, No. 4, 233–239 (2016).

  4. B. A. Vasil’ev, A. V. Vasyaev, D. L. Zverev, et al., “Innovative design of the BN-1200 power unit as the basis for the evolutionary development of the BN direction,” in: 4th Int. Sci. Techn. Conf. on Innovative Projects and Technologies of Nuclear Energy (MNTK NIKIET-2016), NIKIET, Moscow, Sept. 27–30, 2016, pp. 38–39.

  5. N. I. Loginov, Electromagnetic Transducers of Liquid-Metal Consumption, Energoizdat, Moscow (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  6. V. I. Subbotin, M. Kh. Ibragimov, P. A. Ushakov, et al., Hydrodynamics and Heat Transfer in Nuclear Power Plants (computational basis), Atomizdat, Moscow (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  7. A. D. Efanov, B. N. Gabrianovich, N. N. Davidenko, et al. (eds.), Hydrodynamics and Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Proc. SSC RF IPPE, Obninsk (1999).

  8. A. P. Sorokin, Yu. A. Kuzina, and A. I. Orlov, “Experimental modeling of hydrodynamics and heat transfer processes in reactors with heavy liquid-metal coolants,” Vopr. At. Nauki Tekhn. Ser. Yad.-Reakt. Konst., No. 1, 226–258 (2019).

  9. M. Kh. Ibragimov, V. I. Subbotin, V. P. Bobkov, et al., The Structure of Turbulent Flow and the Mechanism of Heat Exchange in Channels, Atomizdat, Moscow (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  10. N. I. Bulev, Spatial Model of Turbulent Exchange, Nauka, Moscow (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  11. A. V. Zhukov, A. P. Sorokin, P. A. Ushakov, et al., Thermophysical Substantiation of Temperature Regimes of Fuel Assemblies in Fast Reactors Taking into Account Overheating Factors. Hydrodynamic Characteristics in the Fuel Assemblies of Fast Reactors, Preprint FEI-1816 (1985).

  12. B. N. Gabrianovich and V. N. Delnov, Features of the Hydrodynamics of the Flow Parts of the Collector Systems of Heat Exchangers and Reactors of NPP, RFYaTs – VNIIEF, Sarov (2016).

  13. S. S. Gordeev and A. P. Sorokin, “Influence of various factors on the formation of the temperature field in the core of fast neutron reactors with sodium coolant during a run,” Vopr. At. Nauki Tekhn. Ser. Yad.-Reakt. Konst., No. 2, 226–258 (2018).

  14. P. A. Ushakov, “Approximate thermal modeling of cylindrical fuel elements,” in: Liquid Metals, Atomizdat, Moscow (1967), pp. 137–148.

  15. A. V. Zhukov, A. P. Sorokin, and N. M. Matyukhin, Interchannel Exchange in Fuel Assemblies of Fast Reactors, Energoatomizdat, Moscow (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  16. A. V. Zhukov, A. P. Sorokin, and N. M. Matyukhin, Interchannel Exchange in Fuel Assemblies of Fast Reactors. Computational Programs and Practical Applications, Energoatomizdat, Moscow (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  17. A. P. Sorokin, G. P. Bogoslovskaya, A. A. Trufanov, and N. A. Denisova, “Investigation of the effect of radiation-induced shape change of fuel assemblies on the temperature regime and stress-strain state of fuel element cladding,” At. Energ., 120, No. 6, 341–346 (2016); Atomic Energy, 120, No. 6, 418–425 (2016).

  18. A. N. Opanasenko, A. P. Sorokin, A. A. Trufanov, et al., “Experimental studies of coolant temperature and velocity on an integrated water model of a fast reactor in different operating regimes,” At. Energ., 121, No. 1, 21–27 (2017); Atomic Energy, 123, No. 1, 25–33 (2017).

  19. V. A. Grabezhnaya and A. S. Mikheev, “Experience in experimental validation of the steam generators used in NPP with fast reactors,” At. Energ., 119, No. 2, 87–94 (2015); Atomic Energy, 119, No. 2, 106–116 (2015).

  20. V. I. Subbotin, D. N. Sorokin, D. M. Ovechkin, and A. P. Kudryavtsev, Heat Transfer During Boiling of Metals Under Natural Convection Conditions, Nauka, Moscow (1969).

  21. A. P. Sorokin, Yu. A. Kuzina, and E. F. Ivanov, “Characteristics of heat transfer during boiling of liquid metal in the fuel assemblies of fast reactors in emergency regimes,” At. Energ., 126, No. 2, 69–78 (2019); Atomic Energy, 126, No. 2, 73–82 (2019).

  22. M. N. Ivanovskii, V. P. Sorokin, and V. I. Subbotin, Evaporation and Condensation of Liquid Metals, Atomizdat, Moscow (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  23. A. V. Zhukov, A. P. Sorokin, A. D. Efanov, et al., “Database and knowledge on thermal hydraulics of fast reactors,” in: Meeting IAEA, TWG-FR/123, Vienna, Feb. 14–18, 2005, IAEA (2005), pp. 457–477.

  24. A. V. Zhukov, A. P. Sorokin, A. D. Efanov, et al., “Database and knowledge on thermal hydraulics of fast reactors,” in: Meeting IAEA, TWG–FR/123, Feb. 14–18, 2005, IAEA, Vienna (2005), pp. 457–477.

  25. A. D. Efanov, A. P. Sorokin, A. V. Zhukov, et al., “Experimental database on fast-reactor thermohydraulics for computational code verification,” At. Energ., 107, No. 3, 128–136 (2009); Atomic Energy, 107, No. 3, 162–172 (2009).

  26. P. L. Kirillov, V. P. Bobkov, A. V. Zhukov, et al., Handbook of Thermohydraulic Calculations in Nuclear Power, IzdAT, Moscow (2010), Vol. 1.

  27. M. N. Ivanovskii, V. P. Sorokin, and I. V. Yagodkin, Physical Foundations of Heat Pipes, Atomizdat, Moscow (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  28. M. N. Ivanovskii, V. P. Sorokin, B. A. Chulkov, and I. V. Yagodkin, Technological Foundations of Heat Pipes, Atomizdat, Moscow (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  29. A. P. Sorokin, “Thermal-hydraulic safety studies of nuclear power plants with fast reactors,” Teploenergetika, No. 12, 29–36 (2007).

  30. O. D. Kazachkovskii, A. V. Zhukov, A. P. Sorokin, and N. M. Matyukhin, “Temperature fields in fast reactor fuel assemblies with shape changes,” At. Energ., 65, No. 2, 89– 97 (1988); Atomic Energy, 65, No. 2, 627– 636 (1988).

  31. Yu. A. Kuzina, A. P. Sorokin, and A. V. Zhukov, “Numerical simulation of the thermohydraulics of reactor fuel assemblies with blockages,” At. Energ., 87, No. 5, 342–356 (1999); Atomic Energy, 87, No. 5, Art. No. 808.

  32. Yu. I. Zagorulko, V. G. Zhmurin, and N. S. Ganichev, “Experimental studies of the damageability of fuel element cladding under conditions of loss of coolant flow through fuel assemblies,” in: Sci. Techn. Conf. on Thermophysical Experimental and Computational Theoretical Studies to Substantiate the Characteristics and Safety of Nuclear Fast Reactors (Thermophysics-2011), SSC RF IPPE, Obninsk (2013), Vol. 1, pp. 33–41.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Science Center of the Russian Federation – Leipunskii Institute for Physics and Power Engineering (IPPE), Obninsk, Russia

    A. P. Sorokin & Yu. A. Kuzina

Authors
  1. A. P. Sorokin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yu. A. Kuzina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. P. Sorokin.

Additional information

Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 128, No. 4, pp. 183–189, April, 2020.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sorokin, A.P., Kuzina, Y.A. Thermohydraulics of Alkaline Liquid-Metal Coolant: A Retrospective-Perspective Look. At Energy 128, 197–203 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-020-00677-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-020-00677-5

Search

Navigation