Thermal-hydraulic studies on self actuated shutdown system for Japan Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor

The self-actuated shutdown system (SASS), which is selected for Japan Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (JSFR), is a passive reactor shutdown system utilizing a Curie point electromagnet (CPEM). With CPEM, an excessive fuel outlet temperature rise is sensed and the control rods are released into the core, and the reactor can be shutdown. Therefore it is important for feasibility of SASS to be established by assuring a quick response of CPEM to the coolant temperature rise. In this paper, a device named 'flow collector', which collects flows discharged from six fuel subassemblies surrounding CPEM backup control rods, has been proposed to ensure a shorter response time. Three-dimensional thermal-hydraulic analysis has been performed to evaluate the response time of CPEM with the flow collector, and it is confirmed that the coolant discharged from the fuel subassemblies flows into CPEM with high velocity and the response time of CPEM can be significantly shortened. Based on this analysis, the safety analysis has been carried out, confirming that the maximum temperatures of core and coolant are lower than those imposed by the safety criteria, and feasibility of SASS is assured. (author)