Pressure and Flow Distribution in the Inlet Plenum of a Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR)

Flow distribution and pressure drop analysis for an inlet plenum of a Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) have been performed using Computational Fluid Dynamics. Three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations have been solved in conjunction with $k-{\epsilon}$ model as a turbulence closure. Non-uniformity in flow distribution is assessed for the reference case and parametric studies have been performed for rising channels diameter, Reynolds number and angle between the inlet ports. Also, two different shapes of the inlet plenum namely, rectangular shape and oval shape, have been analysed. The relative flow mal-distribution parameter shows that the flow distribution in the rising channels for the reference case is strongly non-uniform. As the rising channels diameter decreases, the uniformity in the flow distribution as well as the pressure drop inside the inlet plenum increases. Reynolds number is found to have no effect on the flow distribution in the rising channels for both the shapes of the inlet plenum. The increase in angle between the inlet ports makes the flow distribution in the rising channels more uniform.