Thermophysical properties and thermodynamic equation of state of lithium-lead for nuclear fusion reactor safety calculations

Abstract One of the most promising designs for the breeding blanket is the water cooled lithium lead, extensive efforts have been carried out over the years to study the interaction between water and lithium-lead in case of a loss of coolant accident, both experimentally and numerically. This possible accident scenario requires a numerical tool able to simulate the complex phenomena involved. The SIMMER code is currently the best candidate since it is used to perform safety analysis for liquid metal nuclear fission reactors. Even though, different milestones have been reached for the adaptation of SIMMER code for the Lithium-Lead/water interaction, a comprehensive work on the lithium-lead equation of state (EOS) and thermo-physical properties has never been carried out. The investigation of the EOS and thermo-physical properties of SIMMER is conducted and the most updated data on lithium-lead is collected. Using the experimental data, the new SIMMER analytical equations for lithium-lead are obtained. The implementation of EOS and thermo-physical properties of lithium-lead in SIMMER enables the real fluid behavior of the liquid metal and they will represent more realistically the conditions occurring during an interaction between lithium-lead and water during nuclear fusion reactor accidents.