TRANSIENT ANALYSIS OF A PERMEABLE THERMAL BARRIER SYSTEM.

A permeable thermal barrier system lines the walls of certain enclosures and pipes within the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR). This system protects the Prestressed Concrete Reactor Vessel (PCRV) from the otherwise damaging effects of heat transfer from the high-temperature helium working fluid. A one-dimensional transient model of this system has been developed to study the response of this system and its associated supporting structure when it is subjected to a rapid depressurization. The analytical model is normalized, and the dimensionless parameters which characterize the system response are extensively studied. The results of this study will provide both the qualitative and quantitative knowledge required for a rational design of thermal barrier system in the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors.