Multidimensional thermal hydraulic analysis of sodium heated steam generators

The steam generator in a liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) is once through, vertical, shell and tube heat exchanger. It is subjected to considerable thermal loading due to the temperature difference amongst the tubes and between tube bundle and the shell. Hence a detailed knowledge of temperature distribution existing in the steam generator is essential for its structural design. In order to achieve this two computer codes THYC and DESOPT are used. THYC codes are used to solve 2 or 3 dimensional conservation equations to estimate the flow and temperature distributions in the shell side fluid, sodium. DESOPT is a 1 dimensional code to estimate the flow and temperature distributions in the tube side fluid, steam/water. These two codes are used alternately. This paper presents a brief description of the codes and the coupling procedure. It also presents the results of temperature distribution in the steam generator for normal configuration as well as for a configuration with a group of plugged tubes. (author). 11 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab