Journal Article

Modeling and Visualization of Coolant Flow in a Fuel Rod Bundle of a Small Modular Reactor

Kuritsin, Daniil, Solntsev, Dmitriy, Nikolaev, Danil, Dmitriev, Sergei, Demkina, Tatiyana, Dobrov, Aleksandr, Doronkov, Denis, Pronin, Alexey, Riazanov, Anton

2024

Overview

This article presents the results of an experimental study of the coolant flow in a fuel rod bundle of a nuclear reactor fuel assembly of a small modular reactor for a small ground-based nuclear power plant. The aim of the work is to experimentally determine the hydrodynamic characteristics of the coolant flow in a fuel rod bundle of a fuel assembly. For this purpose, experimental studies were conducted in an aerodynamic model that included simulators of fuel elements, burnable absorber rods, spacer grids, a central displacer, and stiffening corners. During the experiments, the water coolant flow was modeled using airflow based on the theory of hydrodynamic similarity. The studies were conducted using the pneumometric method and the contrast agent injection method. The flow structure was visualized by contour plots of axial and tangential velocity, as well as the distribution of the contrast agent. During the experiments, the features of the axial flow were identified, and the structure of the cross-flows of the coolant was determined. The database obtained during the experiments can be used to validate CFD programs, refine the methods of thermal-hydraulic calculation of nuclear reactor cores, and also to justify the design of fuel assemblies.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Accuracy / Air flow / Assembly / Axial flow / Blood vessels / Computer simulation / Computer-generated environments / Contrast agents / Coolant / Coolants / Cross flow / Design and construction / Energy development / Experimental nuclear reactors / Experiments / Flight simulators / Flow velocity / Fluid mechanics / fuel assembly / Geometry / hydrodynamic / Kinematics / Mechanical properties / Methods / Nuclear fuel elements / Nuclear fuel rods / Nuclear fuels / Nuclear power plants / Nuclear reactors / reactor core / Reactor cores / Reactors / Reynolds number / small modular reactor / Stiffening / Thermal properties / Visualization (Computers)