To better understand the corrosion and corrosion products behavior in the primary circuit of lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant reactor, the concentration distribution of soluble impurities and the transport of solid particles are investigated through the finite-element method. An axisymmetric model of the primary circuit of an LBE reactor was constructed to accelerate the calculation of the thermal hydraulic filed of the circuit. The saturation concentration of solute Fe, Cr and Ni in LBE coolant are identified through the equilibrium of their oxides and PbO, and the very different saturation concentrations of Fe/Cr/Ni in LBE will lead to significant element-selective corrosion. The migration of solid oxide particles in the primary circuit is also investigated by the Euler–Lagrange tracing model. The simulation shows that driving force for the movement of particles >100 μm is buoyancy, which lets particles float on a free surface, while particles <10 μm tend to suspend in coolant. However, the behavior of particles also depends on the formation position, the particles formed above the core have a high possibility of re-entering in the core.

For better understanding the corrosion and corrosion products behavior in the primary circuit of lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant reactor, the concentration distribution of soluble impurities and the transport of solid particles are investigated through finite-element method. An axisymmetric model of the primary circuit of LBE reactor was constructed to accelerate the calculation the thermal hydraulic filed of circuit. The saturation concentration of solute Fe, Cr and Ni in LBE coolant are identified through the equilibrium of their oxides and PbO. And the very different saturation concentrations of Fe/Cr/Ni in LBE will lead to significant element selective corrosion. The migration of solid oxides particles in the primary circuit is also investigated by the Euler-Lagrange tracing model. The simulation shows that driving force for the movement of particles &amp;gt;100 &mu;m is buoyancy, which lets particles float on a free surface, while particles &amp;lt;10 &mu;m tend to suspend in coolant. However, the behavior of particles also depends on the formation position, the particles formed above the core have the high possibility of re-entering in the core.