Transient accident analysis of a supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle energy converter coupled to an autonomous lead-cooled fast reactor

• Published in: Nuclear engineering and design Vol. 238; no. 8; pp. 2094 - 2105
• Main Authors: Moisseytsev, Anton, Sienicki, James J.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.08.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: ACCIDENTS; Applied sciences; BRAYTON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; COMPUTER CODES; Controled nuclear fusion plants; DESIGN; Energy; ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; FAST REACTORS; Fission nuclear power plants; Fuels; Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy; NATURAL CONVECTION; NUCLEAR ENERGY; Nuclear fuels; SAFETY; SIMULATION; SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; STEAM; TRANSIENTS; Nuclear energy; Accident; Carbon dioxide; Fast reactor; Computation code; Passive system; Water vapor; Natural circulation; Heat sink; Nuclear reactor
• ISSN: 0029-5493; 1872-759X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2007.11.012

The supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO 2) Brayton cycle is a promising advanced alternative to the Rankine steam cycle and recuperated gas Brayton cycle for the energy converters of specific reactor concepts belonging to the U.S. Department of Energy Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Initiative. A new plant dynamics analysis computer code has been developed for simulation of the S-CO 2 Brayton cycle coupled to an autonomous, natural circulation lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR). The plant dynamics code was used to simulate the whole-plant response to accident conditions. The specific design features of the reactor concept influencing passive safety are discussed and accident scenarios are identified for analysis. Results of calculations of the whole-plant response to loss-of-heat sink, loss-of-load, and pipe break accidents are demonstrated. The passive safety performance of the reactor concept is confirmed by the results of the plant dynamics code calculations for the selected accident scenarios.