Numerical and Experimental Studies on the Performance of Thermal Baffles in Sodium Heated Steam Generator

The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is currently under construction at Kalpakkam, India. PFBR has eight numbers of sodium heated once through Steam Generators (SG) each with 157 MWt capacity. Parts like steam generator tube sheet will see high temperature gradients during normal operation as well as in transient conditions. Thermal baffles are provided to protect the steam generator tub e sheets from the high temperature gradients during transient and steady state conditions. In Steam Generator Test Facility (SGTF) of IGCAR a 5.5MWt capacity SG was tested for its thermal hydraulic performance. Effectiveness of the thermal baffles provided in the model SG of PFBR is studied numerically and the performance of the same has been predicted. Further Transient experiments were conducted in Steam Generator Test Facility for evaluating the same. This paper brings out the details of numerical studies and the experimental evaluation of the effectiveness of thermal baffles provided to protect the steam generator tube sheets.