• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제55권10호
• /
• pp.3775-3786
• /
• 2023

Mixing Vane Grid (MVG) is one of the most important structures in fuel assembly due to its high performance in mixing the coolant and ultimately increasing Critical Heat Flux (CHF), which avoids the temperature rising suddenly of fuel rods. To evaluate the mixing performance of the MVG, a Total Diffusion Coefficient (TDC) mixing coefficient is defined in the subchannel analysis code. Conventionally, the TDC of the spacer grid is obtained from the combination of experiments and subchannel analysis. However, the processing of obtaining and determine a reasonable TDC is much challenging, it is affected by boundary conditions and MVG geometries. In is difficult to perform all the large and costing rod bundle tests. In this paper, the CFD method was applied in TDC analysis. A typical 5 × 5 MVG was simulated and validated to estimate the mixing performance of the MVG. The subchannel code was used to calculate the TDC. Firstly, the CFD method was validated from the aspect of pressure drop and lateral temperature distribution in the subchannels. Then the effect of boundary conditions including the inlet temperature, inlet velocities, heat flux ratio between hot and cold rods and the arrangement of hot and cold rods on MVG mixing and TDC were studied. The geometric effects on mixing are also carried out in this paper. The effect of vane pattern on mixing was investigated to determine which one is the best to represent the grid's mixing performance.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
• /
• 제40권12호
• /
• pp.815-824
• /
• 2016

가압경수로에 장전되는 핵연료집합체는 연료 봉 다발과 지지격자 및 상하단 고정체로 구성되어 있다. 고온 고압의 냉각수는 원자로 하부로 유입되어 연료 봉 사이로 형성된 부수로를 따라 노심 상부로 흐른다. 경수로핵연료의 주요 열수력 성능인자는 정상운전시 압력강하 및 임계열속이며 사고시에는 급랭 시간이다. 한국원자력연구원에서는 경수로핵연료의 성능을 향상시키고 국산화를 위해 고성능 경수로핵연료, 이중냉각 핵연료 및 사고저항성 핵연료를 개발하였다. 경수로핵연료의 열수력 핵심기술을 개발하기 위해 압력강하 실험, 난류 유동혼합/열전달 실험, 임계열속 및 급랭 시험을 수행하였으며 전산유체역학 방법도 활용하였다. 더불어 사용후핵연료의 임시저장을 위한 건식저장 용기의 열유동에 대한 전산유체해석을 수행하였다. 한편, 경수로핵연료의 열수력 기반기술을 개발하고 실용화를 위해 대학 및 산업체와 협력연구도 진행하였다.