Turbulent flow characteristics in an 84-pin rod bundle for typical and damaged spacer grids

Menezes, Craig; Carroll, Alfred D.; Matozinhos, Camila Freitas; Vaghetto, Rodolfo; Hassan, Yassin A.

doi:10.1063/5.0090263

Turbulent flow characteristics in an 84-pin rod bundle for typical and damaged spacer grids

Journal Article · Mon May 02 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Physics of Fluids

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0090263· OSTI ID:1979079

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[2]; Vaghetto, Rodolfo ^[2]; Hassan, Yassin A. ^[2]

Texas A & M University, College Station, TX (United States); Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)
Texas A & M University, College Station, TX (United States)

Hexagonal rod bundles arranged in a tightly packed triangular lattice are extensively used for heat transfer and energy generation applications. Staggered spacer grids are used to maintain the structural integrity of gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) fuel assemblies, while inducing localized turbulence in flow. Damage to these spacer grids results in a disruption of flow fields within these hexagonal fuel bundles. Experimental flow visualizations are critical to identify the differences in local flow properties that the structural damage may cause. This experimental research investigates the flow-field characteristics at a near-wall and center plane in a prototypical 84-pin GFR fuel assembly. Newly installed typical spacers and spacers subject to naturally occurring damage due to material degradation over prolonged experimentation were investigated. Velocity fields were acquired by utilizing the matched-index-of-refraction method to obtain time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements for a Reynolds number of 12 000. Reynolds decomposition statistical results divulged differences in the time-averaged velocity, velocity fluctuations, flow anisotropy, and Reynolds stress distributions. Galilean decomposition demarcated the influence of spacer grid damage on the velocity fields. To extract turbulent structures and elucidate mechanisms of flow instabilities, proper orthogonal decomposition analysis was employed. Reduced order flow reconstructions enabled the application of vortex identification algorithms to determine the spatial and statistical characteristics of vortices generated. This research work provides unique experimental data on the spacer grid condition-dependent flow. The results offer a deeper understanding of fluid dynamics behavior to support GFR rod bundle design efforts and computational fluid dynamics model validation.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Texas A & M University, College Station, TX (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP)

Grant/Contract Number:: NE0008652

OSTI ID:: 1979079

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1866022

Journal Information:: Physics of Fluids, Journal Name: Physics of Fluids Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 34; ISSN 1070-6631

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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