Optimization study of lead-based reactor heat exchangers based on Dakota coupling CFD

Abstract

The lead-bismuth fast reactor is one of the fourth-generation reactor types.The microchannel heat exchangers are used as intermediate heat exchangers, which significantly influence the efficiency of supercritical carbon dioxide (S–CO2) Brayton cycle power generation. It is necessary to quantify the uncertainties and optimize the design of heat transfer and pressure drop of the microchannel heat exchangers. Due to the high cost and time-consuming problem of numerical simulation, this study employs the Arbitrary polynomial chaos expansion method to generate surrogate models for simulation calculations. Specifically, the microchannel parameters of the heat exchanger, namely flow direction spacing, transverse spacing, staggered spacing, and inlet velocity, are studied for the simulation. The pressure drop and convective heat transfer coefficient of the heat exchanger are considered as the objective functions for both simulation and optimization models. Uncertainty quantification analysis, sensitivity analysis, and optimization design of those parameters are conducted. By coupling DAKOTA with CFD, an optimization objective function is established to obtain optimal design data within specified ranges.