Hydrodynamic Properties of High Temperature Natural Circulating Helium Cooling Loop

Abstract The paper deals with the hydrodynamic properties, i.e. the consumption of mechanical energy expressed by pressure drops within a helium loop intended for the testing of decay heat removal (DHR) from the model of a gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR). The system is characterised by the natural circulation of helium, as a coolant, and assume steady operating conditions of circulation. The helium loop consists of four main components: model of gas-cooled fast reactor, model of the heat exchanger for decay heat removal, hot piping branch and cold piping branch. Using the process hydrodynamic calculations, the pressure drops of circulating helium within the main components of the helium loop were determined. The calculations have been done for several defined operating conditions which correspond to the different helium flow rates within the system.