Thermal Hydraulic Analysis of a Passive Residual Heat Removal System for an Integral Pressurized Water Reactor

Abstract

A theoretical investigation on the thermal hydraulic characteristics of a new type of passive residual heat removal system (PRHRS), which is connected to the reactor coolant system via the secondary side of the steam generator, for an integral pressurized water reactor is presented in this paper. Three-interknited natural circulation loops are adopted by this PRHRS to remove the residual heat of the reactor core after a reactor trip. Based on the one-dimensional model and a simulation code (SCPRHRS), the transient behaviors of the PRHRS as well as the effects of the height difference between the steam generator and the heat exchanger and the heat transfer area of the heat exchanger are studied in detail. Through the calculation analysis, it is found that the calculated parameter variation trends are reasonable. The higher height difference between the steam generator and the residual heat exchanger and the larger heat transfer area of the residual heat exchanger are favorable to the passive residual heat removal system.