Natural heat transfer augmentation in passive advanced BWR plants

In the European Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR), the long-term post-accident containment pressure is determined by the combination of non condensable gas pressure and steam pressure in the wet well gas space. Since there are no active systems for heat removal in the wet well, energy transmitted to the wet well gas space, by a variety of means, must be removed by passive heat transfer to the walls and suppression pool (SP). The cold suppression pool located below the hotter gas space provides a stable configuration in which convection currents are suppressed thus limiting heat and mass transfer between the gas space and pool. However, heat transfer to the walls results in natural circulation currents that can augment the heat and mass transfer to the pool surface. Using a simplified model, parametric studies are carried out to show that augmentation of the order of magnitude expected can significantly impact the heat and mass transfer to the pool. Additionally a review of available literature in the area of augmentation and mixed convection of this type is presented and indicates the need for additional experimental work in order to develop adequate models for heat and mass transfer augmentation in the configuration of a BWR suppression pool. (author)