Thermal Hydraulic Analysis of a Packed Bed Reactor Fuel Element
Abstract
A model of the behavior of a packed bed nuclear reactor fuel element is developed. It is capable of predicting the temperature, pressure and velocity fields as a function of position throughout the fuel element in both transient and steady state conditions. It is the starting point for the design of a real time analysis module for a reactor power controller. The fuel element consists of a packed bed of fuel particles between two concentrically mounted retention elements. It is cooled by hydrogen flowing radically inward through the bed. The model is based on the fundamental principles of mass, momentum and energy conservation. The balances are applied to a two dimensional array of control volumes, using the lumped parameter approach, to generate sets of simultaneous linear semi-implicit finite difference equations. The Pressure Implicit with Splitting of Operators (PISO) algorithm is then used to advance the model variables in time. An energy balance derived from a single node model of a fuel particle is performed on the solid phase. The model code is applied to a series of steady state and transient problems, varying the peak power density from 0 to 2.1 GW/Cu M. The model also predicts significant effects from conduction and radiation in the solid phase. Keywords: Thesis.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 25, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA213528
Entities
People
- Read S. Tuddenham
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology