Technical Meeting on Heat Transfer, Thermal-Hydraulics and System Design for Supercritical Water Cooled Reactors Hosted by the Government of the United Kingdom through the University of Sheffield Sheffield, United Kingdom 22 24 August 2016 Ref. No.: I3-TM-52353 Information Sheet A. Background There has been great interest internationally in both developing and developed countries in the design of innovative supercritical water-cooled reactors (SCWRs). This interest arises from the high thermal efficiencies (43 48% in the proposed concepts) and the simplified primary system (once-through reactor and direct steam cycle) promised by the SCWR concept, which improves economic competitiveness. The SCWR is one of the six Generation IV nuclear energy system concepts, and it is the only water-cooled reactor (WCR) concept being developed within the framework of the Generation IV International Forum.
Page 2 One of the main advantages of the SCWR is that, as the system is an evolution of existing WCR technology, there is already extensive worldwide experience in the construction and operation of this type of reactor. In addition, there is also substantial experience in the construction and operation of supercritical fossil-fuelled power plants. The major challenges for the SCWR are to develop and verify viable core designs, to understand the heat transfer and thermal-hydraulics of supercritical pressure water in the reactor cores, and to develop materials for the fuel and core structure with an appropriate water chemistry strategy. These are important because the SCWR cores will operate under conditions exceeding current experience with WCRs, and the properties of supercritical pressure water are unique. In support of Member States efforts in the area of SCWRs, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) launched, in 2008, a coordinated research project (CRP) entitled Heat Transfer Behaviour and Thermohydraulics Code Testing for Supercritical Water Cooled Reactors. The CRP was successfully completed in September 2012. Information generated from that CRP was documented in an IAEA Technical Document (IAEA-TECDOC-1746) and numerous publications and reports. A database of thermal-hydraulics parameters of interest to SCWR development was compiled and is currently housed in the central server of the Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA). Despite the completion of the CRP, several collaborative initiatives continue among institutes that participated in the CRP. Most of these institutes have expressed their strong interest in, and support for, initiating a new CRP on the thermal-hydraulics of SCWRs to continue the momentum of international collaboration. Accordingly, the IAEA launched, in October 2014, a new CRP entitled Understanding and Prediction of Thermal-Hydraulics Phenomena Relevant to SCWRs. The objective of this new CRP is to improve the understanding and prediction accuracy of thermalhydraulics phenomena relevant to SCWRs and to benchmark numerical toolsets for their analyses. The identified scope of collaboration is considered to cover applied research and development (R&D), as compared to the basis R&D carried out under the earlier CRP. In view of this, and as a complement to current IAEA efforts in the area of thermal-hydraulics of supercritical fluids, Member States have expressed an interest in organizing a Technical Meeting at which specialists in the areas of system design and thermal-hydraulics for SCWRs would have the opportunity of participating in extended technical discussions on the details associated with the science, technology and engineering of SCWRs. This Technical Meeting is the second one on the topic of heat transfer, thermal hydraulics and system design for SCWRs. The first one, hosted by the University of Pisa, was held in Pisa, Italy, from 5 to 8 July 2010. The second meeting will be hosted by the University of Sheffield and will take place in Sheffield, United Kingdom, from 22 to 24 August 2016. Representatives of the broad international research community are invited to participate. B. Objectives The purpose of the meeting is to provide a platform for detailed presentations and technical discussions on recent progress in R&D activities related to SCWRs, leading to the exchange of results and fostering worldwide collaboration in further R&D activities. A further goal of the meeting is to review and update the status of scientific and engineering related knowledge underlying SCWR concepts.
Page 3 The meeting will have the following main objectives, with an emphasis on application and design issues: To review and discuss progress in the development of experimental correlations, theoretical equations and numerical methods to describe the thermal-hydraulics behaviour of fluids under supercritical pressure conditions; To evaluate comparisons of analyses and numerical predictions of thermal hydraulics codes against theoretical estimates and experimental data for supercritical pressure fluids; and To review the current status of SCWR concepts and their core design, system design and approach to safety. As usual in this type of meeting, the programme will include a discussion session to enable participants to contribute to the summary and highlights of the meeting and to make recommendations to the IAEA on future activities in this field. C. Topics Papers are invited on all aspects of heat transfer, thermal-hydraulics and system design for SCWRs. Experimental and theoretical/modelling studies will be considered. The following topics have been identified as being of particular interest: Heat transfer, pressure drop, thermal hydraulics and thermodynamics for SCWRs; Critical flow during blowdown from supercritical pressures; Natural circulation and flow stability issues for SCWRs; Core design and neutronics for SCWRs; and Design of safety system and related aspects for SCWRs. D. Registration for Participation The meeting may be attended only upon official designation. Participants should complete the attached Form A (Participation Form) and send it to the appropriate national authority (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Mission to the IAEA or National Atomic Energy Authority) for subsequent transmission to the IAEA, and also directly to the IAEA Scientific Secretary (K.Yamada@iaea.org), not later than 31 May 2016. Participants wishing to make a presentation must submit Form B (Form for Submission of a Paper) and an abstract together with Form A (please see Section E below). Participants requesting financial support must complete Form C (Grant Application Form) and forward it to their national authority together with Form A (please see Section F below).
Page 4 E. Submission of Abstracts and Presentations Abstract Submission The abstract should summarize the content and principal conclusions of the presentation which the author intends to give at the meeting. The abstract can include figures and tables, if appropriate. The abstract must be sent, together with Forms A and B, to the appropriate national authority by 31 May 2016. Important: Contributors of material to be included in the meeting proceedings are required to assign all copyrights or rights to publish to the IAEA. The authors should make sure that the files do not include copyrighted fonts or other impediments for reproduction. The abstract shall be prepared in Microsoft Word format according to the following instructions: 1) Page size: A4 (21 cm by 29.7 mm) 2) Margins: 25 mm all around 3) Layout: - Title: single-spaced, 14-point size, Times New Roman (TNR) font, bold - Authors: single-spaced, 12-point size, TNR font - Affiliation: single-spaced, 12-point size, TNR font, italics - Text: 1.5 spaced, 10.5-point size, TNR font 4) Length: Two pages (maximum) Presentation Submission Those authors whose presentations are accepted will be informed of the acceptance of their contributions by email by 20 June 2016. The authors will be requested to prepare and submit their presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint or PDF format by 10 August 2016. All accepted abstracts will be reproduced in unedited form in the Book of Abstracts, which will be distributed to the participants. All presentations will be posted on the meeting website after the meeting. F. Financial Support The IAEA is generally not in a position to bear the travel and other costs of participants in the meeting. Limited funds are, however, available to help cover the cost of participants from Member States eligible to receive technical assistance under the IAEA s technical cooperation programme. Such assistance can be offered, upon specific request by submitting Form C, to one participant per country provided that, in the IAEA s view, the participant on whose behalf assistance is requested will make an important contribution to the meeting. The application for financial support should be made at the time of designating the participant. The attached Grant Application Form (Form C) should be used for this purpose.
Page 5 G. Venue and Accommodation The meeting will be hosted by the University of Sheffield and held in Sheffield, United Kingdom. Participants are advised to book accommodation in recommended hotels. (Information on the specific venue and accommodation options will be provided to the designated participants in due course.) A technical tour will be organized as part of the meeting. Prior security clearance will be needed in order to obtain appropriate permission. Designated participants who require a visa to enter the United Kingdom should submit the necessary application form in due time to the nearest diplomatic or consular representative of the United Kingdom. H. Working Language The working language of the meeting will be English. All communications, abstracts, and papers must be sent in English. I. Organization Meeting Co-Chairpersons: Mr Laurence Leung Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Ltd. (CNL) CHALK RIVER CANADA Mr Walter Ambrosini University of Pisa PISA ITALY Meeting Coordinator: Mr Shuisheng He Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Sheffield Sir Frederick Mappin Building, Mappin Street SHEFFIELD UNITED KINGDOM Tel.: +44 114 222 7756 Email: s.he@sheffield.ac.uk
Page 6 Technical Programme Committee: Mr Igor Pioro, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), CANADA Mr Yuzhou Chen, China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), CHINA Mr Xiaojing Liu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), CHINA Mr Xu Cheng, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), GERMANY Mr Attila Kiss, Budapest University of Technology & Economics (BME), HUNGARY Mr Darwan Singh Pilkhwal, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), INDIA Mr Andrey Churkin, JSC OKB Gidropress, RUSSIAN FEDERATION, Mr Viktor Razumovskyi, National Technical University of Ukraine (NTUU), UKRAINE Mr Mark Anderson, University of Wisconsin Madison (UW), UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IAEA Scientific Secretary: Mr Katsumi Yamada Division of Nuclear Power Department of Nuclear Energy International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna International Centre PO Box 100 1400 VIENNA AUSTRIA Tel.: +43 1 2600 22882 Fax: +43 1 2600 29598 Email: K.Yamada@iaea.org IAEA Administrative Secretary: Ms Paula Houser Division of Nuclear Power Department of Nuclear Energy International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna International Centre PO Box 100 1400 VIENNA AUSTRIA Tel.: +43 1 2600 25795 Fax: +43 1 26007 Email: P.Houser@iaea.org Subsequent correspondence on scientific matters should be sent to the Scientific Secretary and correspondence on other matters related to the meeting to the Administrative Secretary.
Page 7 J. Important Dates 31 May 2016 Submission of Form A (Participation Form); Submission of Form B (Form for Submission of a Paper) and abstracts, if applicable; and Submission of Form C (Grant Application Form), if applicable. 20 June 2016 Notification of acceptance by the IAEA 10 August 2016 Submission of presentations 22 24 August 2016 Technical Meeting on Heat Transfer, Thermal- Hydraulics and System Design for Supercritical Water Cooled Reactors