Speaker
Fabio Tieri
(Fusion Nuclear Tecnologies)
Description
The ASTEC code is a lumped parameter code originally designed to perform safety analysis in fission nuclear power plants. Recently some modules of ASTEC have been modified by IRSN to be applicable for the safety analysis in the nuclear fusion plants. In particular the CPA module ( for the thermal-hydraulics of the containment) and the SOPHAEROS module (to model the physical phenomena involving the aerosols and the vapors and the chemical reactions) have been updated to simulate dust resuspension phenomena in containments, such as the vacuum vessel and the neighbors volumes. It is possible to choose two different models: the “force balance” model that considers a “mechanic” approach, and the rock’ and roll model for which the particles are re- suspended from the surface when they have gained sufficient vibration energy to escape from the adhesive potential well. To test the effectiveness of the models in the peculiar conditions existing in a Tokamak, simulations of dust resuspension have been carried on using the features and the experimental data obtained from experiments performed in the past at the “STARDUST” facility (Small Tank for Aerosols Removal and Dust facility) placed at the University of “Tor Vergata”. The final scope is to test the capability of the code to deal with the dusts resuspension phenomenon in near vacuum conditions. This facility is a small cylindrical vessel in which it is possible to simulate loss of vacuum accidents (LOVAs) at sub-atmospheric pressures pumping air from different valves. To support ASTEC calculations ANSYS Fluent is applied to evaluate properly the flow field and the thermal-hydraulic parameters during the transient. The first results are encouraging but substantial modifications in the resuspension models are necessary to take in account the particular physical conditions: the extremely low density and very high air velocities during the transient.
Co-authors
Chailan Lionel
(Nuclear Safety Department, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, 13115, France)
Cousin Frederic
(Nuclear Safety Department, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, 13115, France)
Fabio Tieri
(Fusion Nuclear Tecnologies, Create Consortium, Via Claudio, 21 Napoli, Italy)
Porfiri Maria Teresa
(Fusion Nuclear Tecnologies, Ente Nazionale Energia Ambiente, Via Enrico Fermi, 45 Frascati, Italy)
