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Title: Experimental investigation and CFD analysis on cross flow in the core of PMR200

Abstract

The Prismatic Modular Reactor (PMR) is one of the major Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) concepts, which consists of hexagonal prismatic fuel blocks and reflector blocks made of nuclear gradegraphite. However, the shape of the graphite blocks could be easily changed by neutron damage duringthe reactor operation and the shape change can create gaps between the blocks inducing the bypass flow.In the VHTR core, two types of gaps, a vertical gap and a horizontal gap which are called bypass gap and cross gap, respectively, can be formed. The cross gap complicates the flow field in the reactor core by connecting the coolant channel to the bypass gap and it could lead to a loss of effective coolant flow in the fuel blocks. Thus, a cross flow experimental facility was constructed to investigate the cross flow phenomena in the core of the VHTR and a series of experiments were carried out under varying flow rates and gap sizes. The results of the experiments were compared with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis results in order to verify its prediction capability for the cross flow phenomena. Fairly good agreement was seen between experimental results and CFD predictions and the local characteristics of themore » cross flow was discussed in detail. Based on the calculation results, pressure loss coefficient across the cross gap was evaluated, which is necessary for the thermo-fluid analysis of the VHTR core using a lumped parameter code.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [1]
  1. Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)
  2. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
  3. Hanyang Univ., Seoul (Korea)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1188615
Report Number(s):
INL/JOU-15-35645
Journal ID: ISSN 0306-4549; TRN: US1500528
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC07-05ID14517
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford); Journal Volume: 83; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0306-4549
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; bypass flow; cross flow; PMR2000; VHTR

Citation Formats

Lee, Jeong -Hun, Yoon, Su -Jong, Cho, Hyoung -Kyu, Jae, Moosung, and Park, Goon -Cherl. Experimental investigation and CFD analysis on cross flow in the core of PMR200. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2015.04.002.
Lee, Jeong -Hun, Yoon, Su -Jong, Cho, Hyoung -Kyu, Jae, Moosung, & Park, Goon -Cherl. Experimental investigation and CFD analysis on cross flow in the core of PMR200. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2015.04.002
Lee, Jeong -Hun, Yoon, Su -Jong, Cho, Hyoung -Kyu, Jae, Moosung, and Park, Goon -Cherl. Thu . "Experimental investigation and CFD analysis on cross flow in the core of PMR200". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2015.04.002. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1188615.
@article{osti_1188615,
title = {Experimental investigation and CFD analysis on cross flow in the core of PMR200},
author = {Lee, Jeong -Hun and Yoon, Su -Jong and Cho, Hyoung -Kyu and Jae, Moosung and Park, Goon -Cherl},
abstractNote = {The Prismatic Modular Reactor (PMR) is one of the major Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) concepts, which consists of hexagonal prismatic fuel blocks and reflector blocks made of nuclear gradegraphite. However, the shape of the graphite blocks could be easily changed by neutron damage duringthe reactor operation and the shape change can create gaps between the blocks inducing the bypass flow.In the VHTR core, two types of gaps, a vertical gap and a horizontal gap which are called bypass gap and cross gap, respectively, can be formed. The cross gap complicates the flow field in the reactor core by connecting the coolant channel to the bypass gap and it could lead to a loss of effective coolant flow in the fuel blocks. Thus, a cross flow experimental facility was constructed to investigate the cross flow phenomena in the core of the VHTR and a series of experiments were carried out under varying flow rates and gap sizes. The results of the experiments were compared with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis results in order to verify its prediction capability for the cross flow phenomena. Fairly good agreement was seen between experimental results and CFD predictions and the local characteristics of the cross flow was discussed in detail. Based on the calculation results, pressure loss coefficient across the cross gap was evaluated, which is necessary for the thermo-fluid analysis of the VHTR core using a lumped parameter code.},
doi = {10.1016/j.anucene.2015.04.002},
journal = {Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford)},
number = C,
volume = 83,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Apr 16 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Thu Apr 16 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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