Research on Natural Circulation Flow Characteristics of Floating Nuclear Power Plant in Heaving Motion

The FNPP (Floating Nuclear Power Plant) expanded the application field of Integrated Pressurized Water Reactor (IPWR) in the movable marine platform, it is necessary to study the natural circulation flow characteristics in heaving motion on the ocean. From the characteristics of FNPP, by means of THEATRe code which was based on the two-phase drift flux model and was modified by adding module calculating the effect of heaving motion, the simulation model in heaving motion was built. Using the models developed, the natural circulation operating characteristics of natural circulation in heaving motion and the transitions between forced circulation and natural circulation are analyzed. In the case of amplitude limited, the periods of mass flow rate are equal to periods of heaving motion. The oscillation amplitude of mass flow rate increases with the heaving amplitude increase. In the case of period limited, the natural circulation flow rate oscillating amplitude increases with the heaving period increases. The result obtained are not only evaluating FNPP design behavior properly but also pointing out the direction to further optimum design to ensure FNPP operating safety in heaving motion.