Present status and future plan on LMFBR steam generator safety study

The results of the sodium-water reaction test which has been carried out for the safety evaluation of the water leak phenomena in the steam generators for the prototype FBR were summarized. This is related to the behavior of minute leak, the behavior of wear and damage propagation of neighboring tubes due to small and medium leaking jets, and the pressure/flow phenomena occurring at the time of large leak. Moreover, this is related to the development of analysis codes, the development of water leak-detecting system, and the development of the techniques for treating reaction products remaining in the system at the time of accidents. Also the research and development required hereafter for determining the basic specification of the steam generators for a demonstration FBR and future FBRs and reducing the cost were examined. The water leaks in the steam generators for FBRs have been reported in the Fermi reactor of USA, the PFR of Great Britain, the BN-350 of USSR, the Phenix reactor of France and so on. In Japan, the sodium-water reaction has been well understood, and the facilities for the countremeasures to it have been established. The sodium-water reaction phenomena, the present status of sodium-water reaction research and others are reported. (Kako, I.)