Meeting the Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis Needs for Advanced Gas Reactor Systems

Simulation of some fluid phenomena associated with Generation IV reactors requires the capability of modeling mixing in two- or three-dimensional flow. At the same time, the flow condition of interest is often transient and depends upon boundary conditions dictated by the system behavior as a whole. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is an ideal tool for simulating mixing and three-dimensional flow in system components, whereas a system analysis tool is ideal for modeling the entire system. This paper presents the reasoning which has led to coupled CFD and systems analysis code software to analyze the behavior of advanced reactor fluid system behavior. In addition, the kinds of scenarios where this capability is important are identified. The important role of a coupled CFD/systems analysis code tool in the overall calculation scheme for a Very High Temperature Reactor is described. The manner in which coupled systems analysis and CFD codes will be used to evaluate the mixing behavior in a plenum for transient boundary conditions is described. The calculation methodology forms the basis for future coupled calculations that will examine the behavior of such systems at a spectrum of conditions, including transient accident conditions, that define the operational and accident envelope of the subject system. The methodology and analysis techniques demonstrated herein are a key technology that in part forms the backbone of the advanced techniques employed in the evaluation of advanced designs and their operational characteristics for the Generation IV advanced reactor systems.