Numerical Simulation of Airflow and Dust Migration in Vacuum Vessel During Loss of Vacuum Accident for Updated CFETR

Abstract

A loss of vacuum accident (LOVA) occurs during in-vessel component failure and air ingress. The airflow characteristics of a LOVA are determined by many factors like initial pressure, location of a break, and size of a break and have a great impact on dust migration, which could cause a serious explosion with incoming air and H₂. In this paper, a computational fluid dynamics method is adopted, and the k-ε Shear Stress Transport model for airflow and the Discrete Phase Model for dust are used to simulate a LOVA with the updated Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) tokamak device. The effects of initial pressure, break size, and break location on airflow during the LOVA are discussed, and the effects of dust size, break size, and break location on dust migration during the LOVA are investigated as well. The results indicate that the initial pressure and size of a break have a greater impact on airflow of a LOVA than the location of the break and that both the dust size and the characteristics of the airflow have a greater impact on the distribution of the dust. A break located in the upper port has even more dust chaos. This research is the basis for the safety analysis of the CFETR device, and it provides a reference for subsequent studies on dust removal, mitigation of dust explosions, and radioactive substances.

Keywords:

• Loss of vacuum accident
• break
• airflow
• dust migration

Acknowledgments

The authors would also like to express gratitude to reviewers for kindly revising and making constructive suggestions.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research is supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFE0300503).