Demonstration of Pronghorn’s Subchannel Code Modeling of Liquid-Metal Reactors and Validation in Normal Operation Conditions and Blockage Scenarios

Kyriakopoulos, Vasileios; Tano Retamales, Mauricio E.; Karahan, Aydin

doi:10.3390/en16062592

Demonstration of Pronghorn’s Subchannel Code Modeling of Liquid-Metal Reactors and Validation in Normal Operation Conditions and Blockage Scenarios

Journal Article · Thu Mar 09 00:00:00 EST 2023 · Energies

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/en16062592· OSTI ID:1962022

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Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL (United States)

Pronghorn-SC is a subchannel code within the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE). Initially designed to simulate flows in water-cooled, square lattice, subchannel assemblies, Pronghorn-SC has been expanded to simulate liquid-metal-cooled flows in triangular lattices, hexagonal subchannel assemblies. For this purpose, the algorithm of Pronghorn-SC was adapted to solve the subchannel equations as they are applicable to a hexagonal wire-wrapped sodium-cooled fast reactor. Cheng–Todreas models for pressure drop and cross-flow models were adopted and a coolant heat conduction term was added. To solve these equations, an improved implicit algorithm was developed robust enough to deal with the numerical issues, associated with low flow and recirculation phenomena. To confirm the prediction capability of Pronghorn-SC, calculations and comparisons with available experimental data of 19- and 37-pin assemblies were performed, as well as other subchannel codes. Finally, a flow blockage modeling feature was added. This capability was validated for both water-cooled square sub-assemblies and sodium-cooled hexagonal sub-assemblies, using experimental data of partially and fully blocked cases.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States); Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357; AC07-05ID14517

OSTI ID:: 1962022

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2345895

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU--22-70681

Journal Information:: Energies, Journal Name: Energies Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 16; ISSN 1996-1073

Publisher:: MDPICopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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