Numerical investigation on the characteristics of two-phase flow in fuel assemblies with spacer grid
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D. Chen
Abstract
In pressurized water reactors (PWRs), the spacer grids of the fuel assembly has significant impact on the thermal-hydraulic performance of the fuel assembly. Particularly, the spacer grids with the mixing vanes can dramatically enhance the secondary flow and have significant effect on the void distribution in the fuel assembly. In this paper, the CFD study has been carried out to analyze the effects of the spacer grid with the steel contacts, dimples and mixing vanes on the boiling two-phase flow characteristics, such as the two-phase flow field, the void distribution, and so on. Considered the influence of the boiling phase change on two-phase flow, a boiling model was proposed and applied in the CFD simulation by using the UDF (User Defined Function) method. Furthermore, in order to analyze the effects of the spacer grid with mixing vanes, the adiabatic (without boiling) two-phase flow has also been investigated as comparison with the boiling two-phase flow in the fuel assembly with spacer grids. The CFD simulation on two-phase flow in the fuel assembly with the proposed boiling model can predict the characteristics of two-phase flow better.
Kurzfassung
In Druckwasserreaktoren haben die Abstandshaltern einen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Thermohydraulik in Brennelementen. Insbesondere Abstandshalter mit Mischfahnen können die sekundäre Strömung entscheidend beeinflussen und damit auch die Dampfverteilung innerhalb des Brennelements. In diesem Beitrag werden CFD-Analysen zur Untersuchung des Einflusses der Kontaktstellen des Abstandshalters mit dem Stahl und den Auflagenoppen sowie der Mischfahnen auf die Zweiphasenströmung untersucht. Dabei wird insbesondere der Übergang der Siedephasen berücksichtigt. Dazu wurde eine entsprechende user defined function in das CFD-Programm eingefügt. Rechnungen zu adiaten (nicht siedenden) Zweiphasenströmungen werden zum Vergleich der Rechnungen mit Mischungsfahnen und Sieden herangezogen. Dabei zeigte sich, dass CFD-Analysen mit einem Siedemodell für Zweiphasenströmung bessere Ergebnisse liefern als ohne.
References
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© 2016, Carl Hanser Verlag, München
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Editorial
- Challenges in reactor core thermal-hydraulics: subchannel analysis, CFD modeling and rod bundle CHF
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- Subchannel analysis and correlation of the Rod Bundle Heat Transfer (RBHT) steam cooling experimental data
- CFD analysis on mixing effects of spacer grids with different dimples and sizes for advanced fuel assemblies
- An experimental investigation on dynamics and heat transfer associated with a single droplet impacting on a hot surface above the Leidenfrost point temperature
- Study on effects of mixing vane grids on coolant temperature distribution by subchannel analysis
- Reflood experiments in rod bundles with flow blockages due to clad ballooning
- The effect of spacer grid critical component on pressure drop under both single and two phase flow conditions
- Numerical method improvement for a subchannel code
- Numerical investigation on the characteristics of two-phase flow in fuel assemblies with spacer grid
- Effects of axial power shapes on CHF locations in a single tube and in rod bundle assemblies
- CFD evaluation on the thermohydraulic characteristics of tube support plates in steam generator
- Analysis of heat transfer under high heat flux nucleate boiling conditions
- Review of the correlation developments and a new concept based on mixing mechanism for heat transfer enhancement of spacer grids
- A comparison of the CFD simulation results in 5 × 5 sub-channels with mixing grids using different turbulence models
- Simulation of isothermal multi-phase fuel-coolant interaction using MPS method with GPU acceleration
- RELAP5 investigation on subchannel flow instability
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Editorial
- Challenges in reactor core thermal-hydraulics: subchannel analysis, CFD modeling and rod bundle CHF
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- Subchannel analysis and correlation of the Rod Bundle Heat Transfer (RBHT) steam cooling experimental data
- CFD analysis on mixing effects of spacer grids with different dimples and sizes for advanced fuel assemblies
- An experimental investigation on dynamics and heat transfer associated with a single droplet impacting on a hot surface above the Leidenfrost point temperature
- Study on effects of mixing vane grids on coolant temperature distribution by subchannel analysis
- Reflood experiments in rod bundles with flow blockages due to clad ballooning
- The effect of spacer grid critical component on pressure drop under both single and two phase flow conditions
- Numerical method improvement for a subchannel code
- Numerical investigation on the characteristics of two-phase flow in fuel assemblies with spacer grid
- Effects of axial power shapes on CHF locations in a single tube and in rod bundle assemblies
- CFD evaluation on the thermohydraulic characteristics of tube support plates in steam generator
- Analysis of heat transfer under high heat flux nucleate boiling conditions
- Review of the correlation developments and a new concept based on mixing mechanism for heat transfer enhancement of spacer grids
- A comparison of the CFD simulation results in 5 × 5 sub-channels with mixing grids using different turbulence models
- Simulation of isothermal multi-phase fuel-coolant interaction using MPS method with GPU acceleration
- RELAP5 investigation on subchannel flow instability
