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Conference Article: Flow Distribution of Pebble Bed High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors Using Large Eddy Simulation

Y.A Hassan and G. Gokhan Yesilut, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, USA

Abstract

The simulation of complex three-dimensional gas flow through the gaps of the spherical fuel elements (fuel pebbles) of Pebble Bed Modulator Reactor is performed. This will help in understanding the highly three-dimensional, complex flow phenomena in pebble bed caused by flow curvature. The flow of this type has distinctive features, which strongly affect the boundary layer behavior. The transition from a laminar to turbulent flow around this curved flow occurs at different Reynolds (Re) numbers. Noncircular curved flows as in the pebble-bed situation need to be investigated. In this study, Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is used in modeling the turbulence to overcome the shortcoming of the Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes approach.

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key words: Gas Cooled Reactor, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Proceedings of the Conference on High Temperature Reactors, Petten, NL, April 22-24, 2002
Organized by HTR-TN in cooperation with the European Nucler Society (ENS) and the IAEA
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
HTR-2002, pp:1-6