Numerical study of initiating phase of core disruptive accident in small sodium-cooled fast reactors with negative void reactivity

• Published in: Journal of nuclear science and technology Vol. 61; no. 5; pp. 582 - 594
• Main Authors: Ishida, Shinya, Fukano, Yoshitaka, Tobita, Yoshiharu, Okano, Yasushi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Taylor & Francis 03.05.2024; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Accidents; core disruptive accident; initiating phase; Insertion; MOX fuel; negative void reactivity; Nuclear safety; Numerical analysis; safety analysis; SAS4A; Severe accident; small sodium-cooled fast reactor; Sodium cooled reactors; ULOF; UTOP
• ISSN: 0022-3131; 1881-1248
• DOI: 10.1080/00223131.2023.2243949

The typical initiating events of a core disruptive accident (CDA) in small sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR) are evaluated with the computational code, SAS4A. CDA is one of the hypothetical events in the safety assessment of the SFR, as the SFR has the potential to experience power excursion due to the sodium voiding and the core degradation. To improve the safety of future SFRs, the development of SFRs with low void reactivity has been promoted. Small SFRs can have a negative void coefficient of reactivity. The analysis of the CDA event sequence in small SFRs is valuable for the investigation of the reactor characteristics for the future R&D of SFRs. The event progression during ULOF and UTOP, which are the typical initiating events of CDA, is investigated through the numerical analysis. The event progression of these accidents in the low void reactivity reactor is found to be slow due to the effective insertion of the negative reactivity feedback and the absence of significant positive reactivity insertion. No power excursion occurs in the initiating phase. In ULOF, the cladding melt and motion behavior becomes more important for the evaluation of the event progression due to its positive reactivity.