Bounding Estimate for the 'Hot' Channel Temperature and Preliminary Calculation of Mixing in the Lower Plenum for the NGNP Point Design Using CFD

Johnson, Richard W. ; Schultz, R. R.

Idaho National Laboratory

关键词: Fuel Pins;    Lower Plenum;    Flow Rate;    Geometry;    Cfd;   

DOI  :  10.2172/911234
RP-ID  :  INEEL/EXT-04-02570
RP-ID  :  DE-AC07-99ID-13727
RP-ID  :  911234

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The power density in the core of the block next generation nuclear power plant (NGNP) will not be uniform due to geometry, core layout and fuel pin design. Recent calculations performed to optimize the core design indicate that the maximum radial variation will be 1.25 times the average. This significant radial variation in the local power density will create a variation in the temperature of the helium coolant as it cools the core. The coolant channel with the highest outlet temperature is referred to as the ‘hot’ channel. The concern is that the high temperature channels, which exit into the lower plenum as jets, called ‘hot streaking,’ will adversely affect materials in the lower plenum, the exit duct and the turbine, as well as affect the performance of the turbine. The objective of the present study is to determine or bound the maximum exit temperature of the ‘hot’ channel. The maximum hot channel temperature depends on the total coolant flow rate, which has not yet been fixed. Experiments need to be designed to capture the complex physics of the lower-plenum flow to allow assessment and validation of numerical simulations. While preliminary CFD simulations are not yet validated, they can be of use in the planning of the experiments, particularly in estimating where there are regions of high and low turbulence intensity. Mixing of the coolant is related to the turbulence intensity as well as to the overall nature of the mean flow. The purpose of the present task is to provide preliminary flow calculations of the coolant in the lower plenum to examine flow patterns and turbulence intensity.