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Conference Article: The Numerical Determination of the Variation in the Porosity of Pebble-Bed Core

C. du Toit, School for Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Potchefstroom University, South Africa

Abstract

The pebble-bed reactor can be considered as a packed bed reactor. The mechanisms of fluid flow and heat transfer in such a bed are sensitive to the porosity distribution of the bed. In this paper numerical procedures are presented to evaluate the axial and radial variations of the porosity in a cylindrical packed bed. The application of the procedures is illustrated by analyzing the porosity distribution in the pebble-bed core, which was generated using a discrete element approach. The typical oscillatory variation in porosity near the wall is observed. It is also found that significant local variations in the porosity can occur.

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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:1-5