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SODIUM LEAKAGE EXPERIENCE AT THE PROTOTYPE FBR MONJU

Monju is Japan's prototype fast breeder reactor :280 MWe (714MWt), fueled with mixed oxides of plutonium and uranium, cooled by liquid sodium. Construction was started in 1985 and initial criticality was attained in April 1994 On 8th December 1995, sodium leakage from a secondary circuit occurred in a piping room of the reactor auxiliary building. The secondary sodium leaked through a temperature sensor, due to the breakaway of the tip of the thermocouple well tube installed near the secondary circuit outlet of the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX). The reactor remained cooled and thus, from the viewpoint of radiological hazards, the safety of the reactor was secured. There was no release of radioactive material. There were no adverse effects for personnel and the surrounding environment. The thermocouple well tube failure resulted from high cycle fatigue due to flow induced vibration. It was found that this flow induced vibration was not caused by well-known Von Karman vortex shedding, but a symmetric vortex shedding. The design of the thermocouple well, which was subject to avoid this phenomenon, was reviewed. A new design guide against the flow-induced vibration was prepared by JNC (Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute). That is more comprehensive and definitive than the existing guide "ASME N-13 00" (Flow-induced vibration of tube and tube banks). New thermocouple well designs were proposed consistent with this design guide. To prevent a recurrence of the secondary sodium leakage incident, comprehensive design review activities were started for the purpose of checking the safety and reliability of the plant. As a result, several aspects to be improved were identified and improvements and countermeasures have been studied. The main improvements and countermeasures are as follows: To enable the operators understand and react to incidents quickly, new sodium leakage detectors (TV monitors, smoke sensors) and a new surveillance system will be installed. To reduce the amount of sodium leakage and damage by spilt sodium, the drain system will be remodeled to shorten the drain time. To extinguish a sodium fire in the secondary circuit, a nitrogen gas injection system will be installed. To limit the spread of aerosol, the secondary circuit area will be divided into four smaller zones. These countermeasures will enhance the safety and reliability of the plant with regard to sodium leakage incidents.