Numerical Study of Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics in a Simplified Dual Fluid Reactor
Author:
Elgendy Hisham1, Czerski Konrad123ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Narodowe Centrum Badań Jądrowych, ul. Andrzeja Sołtana 7, 05-400 Otwock, Poland 2. Institut fur Festkörper-Kernphysik gGmbH, Leistikowstr. 2, 14050 Berlin, Germany 3. Instytut Fizyki, Uniwersytet Szczecinski, ul. Wielkopolska 15, 70-451 Szczecin, Poland
Abstract
This study presents the design and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of a mini demonstrator for a dual fluid reactor (DFR). The DFR is a novel concept currently under investigation. The DFR is characterized by the implementation of two distinct liquid loops dedicated to fuel and coolant. It integrates the principles of molten salt reactors and liquid metal cooled reactors; thus, it operates in a high temperature and fast neutron spectrum, presenting a distinct approach in the field of advanced nuclear reactor design. The mini demonstrator serves as a scaled-down version of the actual reactor, primarily aimed at gaining insights into the CFD analysis intricacies of the reactor while minimizing computational costs. The CFD modeling of the MD intends to add valuable data for the purpose of modeling validation against experiments to be conducted on the MD. These experiments can be used for DFR licensing and design optimization. The coolant and fuel utilized in the mini demonstrator are of low Prandtl number (Pr = 0.01) liquid lead, operating at two distinct inlet temperatures, namely 873 K and 1473 K. The study showed a rapid increase in turbulence due to intense mixing and abrupt changes in flow areas and directions, despite the relatively low inlet velocities. Hot spots characterized by elevated temperatures were identified, analyzed, and justified based on their spatial distribution and flow conditions. Flow swirling within pipes was identified and a remedy approach was suggested. Inconsistent mass flow rates were observed among the fuel pipes, with higher rates observed in the lateral pipes. Although lower fuel temperatures were observed in the lateral pipes, they consistently exhibited higher heat exchange characteristics. The study concludes by giving physical insights into the heat transfer and flow behavior, and proposing design considerations for the dual fluid reactor to enhance structural safety and durability, based on the preliminary analysis conducted.
Funder
Polish National Center for Nuclear Research
Subject
Energy (miscellaneous),Energy Engineering and Power Technology,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Electrical and Electronic Engineering,Control and Optimization,Engineering (miscellaneous),Building and Construction
Reference45 articles.
1. International Atomic Energy Agency (2021). Status of Molten Salt Reactor Technology, International Atomic Energy Agency. TRS No 489. 2. Thomas, J.D. (2017). Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy, Woodhead Publishing. 3. Bajorek, S., Diamond, D.J., Brown, N.R., and Denning, R. (2018). Thermal-Hydraulics Phenomena Important in Modeling and Simulation of Liquid-Fuel Molten Salt Reactors. 4. The Effect of Renewable Energy Incorporation on Power Grid Stability and Resilience;Smith;Sci. Adv.,2022 5. Huke, A., Ruprecht, G., Weißbach, D., Czerski, K., Gottlieb, S., Hussein, A., and Herrmann, F. (2017). Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy, Elsevier.
Cited by
2 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献
|
|