On Features of Thermal Design of Passive Evaporation-and-Condensation Systems of Reactor Thermal Shielding

Further development of nuclear engineering is inseparably linked with the requirement of vast application of the passive systems of heat removal running without human intervention. Creation of such systems is impossible, if only conventional engineering solutions are used. As known, to prevent propagation of the fission products into the environment there are three safety barriers. To provide operation of the third safety barrier (containment shell), in particular, of the reactor cavities both in operational and emergency modes a passive evaporation-and-condensation (EC) system of heat removal is proposed. The features of thermal design of the EC systems for thermal shielding of the reactor cavities are considered. They make it possible to determine the optimal main design variables of the EC systems and prove reasonability and efficiency of their application. The performed study validates engineering feasibility of an efficient EC system for thermal shielding of the reactor equipment.