Thermal Hydraulic Analysis of Severe Accident in PFBR

During a core disruptive accident (CDA), the amount of primary sodium that can be released to Reactor Containment Building (RCB) in Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is estimated to be 350 kg/s, by a transient fluid dynamic calculation. The pressure and temperature evolutions inside RCB, due to consequent sodium fire have been estimated by a constant burning rate model, accounting for heat absorption by RCB wall, assuming RCB isolation based on area gamma monitors. The maximum pressure developed is 7000 Pa. In case RCB isolation is delayed, then the final pressure inside RCB reduces below atmospheric pressure due to cooling of RCB air. The negative pressure that can be developed is estimated by dynamic thermal hydraulic modeling of RCB air / wall to be −3500 Pa. These investigations were useful to arrive at the RCB design pressure. Following CDA, RCB is isolated for 40 days. During this period, the heat added to RCB is dissipated to atmosphere only by natural convection. Considering all the possible routes of heat addition to RCB, evolution of RCB wall temperature has been predicted using HEATING5 code. It is established that the maximum temperature in RCB wall is less than the permissible value.