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Assessing the Heat Transfer Modeling Capabilities of CFD Software for Involute-Shaped Plate Research Reactors

Journal Article · · Energies
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/en18143692· OSTI ID:3002949
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [2];  [4];  [4];  [1];  [3];  [2];  [1]
  1. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
  2. Technische Univ. München, Garching (Germany). Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II)
  3. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  4. Inst. Laue-Langevin (ILL), Grenoble (France)
+ Show Author Affiliations
The ongoing efforts to convert High-Performance Research Reactors (HPRRs) using Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) to Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel require reliable thermal–hydraulic assessments of modified core designs. The involute-shaped fuel plates used in several major HPRRs present unique modeling challenges due to their compact core geometries and high heat flux conditions. This study evaluates the capability of three commercial CFD tools, STAR-CCM+, COMSOL, and ANSYS CFX, to predict cladding-to-coolant heat transfer using Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) methods within the thermal–hydraulic regimes of involute-shaped plate reactors. Broad sensitivity analysis was conducted across a range of reactor-relevant parameters using two turbulence models (k−ϵ and k−ω SST) and different near-wall treatment strategies. The results were benchmarked against the Sieder–Tate correlation and experimental data from historic studies. The codes produced consistent results, showing good agreement with the empirical correlation of Sieder–Tate and the experimental measurements. The findings support the use of these commercial CFD codes as effective tools for assessing the thermal–hydraulic performance of involute-shaped plate HPRRs and guide future LEU core development.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357; AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
3002949
Journal Information:
Energies, Journal Name: Energies Journal Issue: 14 Vol. 18; ISSN 1996-1073
Publisher:
MDPICopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

CFD
LEU
heat transfer
high-flux research reactor
involute-shaped plate
non-proliferation