Validation of natural convection liquid metal flow in the E-SCAPE facility

Lila Koloszar, Silvania Lopes, Philippe Planquart, Katrien Van Tichelen

    Research outputpeer-review

    Abstract

    The work presented focuses on the reproduction of natural convection scenarios in the E-SCAPE facility with CFD. ESCAPE is a 1/6th scale model of the MYRRHA reactor with an electric core simulator. The pool of E-SCAPE has a diameter of 1.38m, while the core modelled by electrical resistance has details of less than a millimeter. Thus, E-SCAPE has similar scale separation features as a nuclear reactor and provides valuable experimental data to validate CFD tools for liquid metal pool-type reactors. The current work aims at capturing 3D effects as stratification and natural circulation in large plena with CFD. Given the inseparable connection between thermal and momentum field in natural convection, capturing such flows is particularly difficult with RANS modeling. Special attention is given to study the effect of modeling of turbulent heat transfer in liquid metal flows. A direct comparison is given with E-SCAPE experiments. Finally, the flow and thermal field predicted by CFD is compared in the E-SCAPE facility and the MYRRHA nuclear reactor. This first qualitative results of CFD indicates that the scaling of the E-SCAPE facility is allowing to reproduce the natural convection flow expected in the full-scale MYRRHA nuclear reactor during the passive cooling of the core decay heat.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationThe 19th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-19)
    PublisherSCK CEN
    Chapter36071
    Pages1-13
    Number of pages13
    ISBN (Electronic)9789076971261
    StatePublished - 6 Mar 2022
    Event2022 - NURETH - 19th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics - Brussels
    Duration: 6 Mar 202211 Mar 2022
    Conference number: NURETH19
    http://www.nureth19.com

    Conference

    Conference2022 - NURETH - 19th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics
    Country/TerritoryBelgium
    CityBrussels
    Period2022-03-062022-03-11
    Internet address

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