Investigation of liquid metal heat pipes for cooling small modular nuclear reactors

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The main objective of this proposal is to develop mathematical tools to analyze the performance of liquid metal heat pipes for the thermal cooling of Small Modular Reactors (SMR). The project will be carried out in partnership with the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). SMRs have a significant potential to replace existing coal plants with non-emitting base-load reactors to provide cleaner heat and power for heavy industry (oil sands and mines). SMRs can also provide district heating and residential power in remote northern communities, where the power generation currently relies on costly and polluting diesel fuel. Reliable and cost-effective energy is also the key to opening economic development opportunities in the North. Therefore, The SMR technology is currently listed as one of the strategic initiatives of CNL. Nuclear reactors generate large amounts of heat while the current methods for thermal control mainly rely on the water cooling. Water cooling has several disadvantages as it was experienced during the Fukushima accident. Eliminating the need for active systems as much as possible is one of the goals of the new generation reactor design. Heat pipe technology is therefore an attractive alternative due to their passive operation and very low maintenance requirements. In this project, two types of mathematical models will be developed: a one-dimensional model for the quick analysis of heat pipe characteristics, and a more complex three-dimensional model for in depth analysis of the thermophysics of the heat pipes. The model will be validated by data obtained from the liquid metal heat pipes. Finally, a system level simulation will be performed to analyze heat pipe failure modes to demonstrate that liquid metal heat pipes satisfy the SMS thermal cooling requirements.