Tightly Coupled Multiphysics Algorithm for Pebble Bed Reactors

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Journal of Nuclear Science and Engineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.13182/NSE09-104· OSTI ID:992640

Park, HyeongKae; Knoll, Dana; Gaston, Derek; Martineau, Richard

We have developed a tightly coupled multiphysics simulation tool for the pebble-bed reactor (PBR) concept, a type of Very High-Temperature gas-cooled Reactor (VHTR). The simulation tool, PRONGHORN, takes advantages of the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment library, and is capable of solving multidimensional thermal-fluid and neutronics problems implicitly with a Newton-based approach. Expensive Jacobian matrix formation is alleviated via the Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov method, and physics-based preconditioning is applied to minimize Krylov iterations. Motivation for the work is provided via analysis and numerical experiments on simpler multiphysics reactor models. We then provide detail of the physical models and numerical methods in PRONGHORN. Finally, PRONGHORN's algorithmic capability is demonstrated on a number of PBR test cases.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 992640
• Report Number(s): INL/JOU-09-17509
• Journal Information: Journal of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Science and Engineering Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 166
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ALGORITHMS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
P CODES
PEBBLE BED REACTORS
PRONGHORN
REACTOR KINETICS
THERMAL HYDRAULICS
VHTR
pebble-bed reactor