Experimental investigation of flow regime transitions and frictional pressure drop in a 9x9 helical cruciform fuel bundle

IF 1.9 3区 工程技术 Q1 NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Matthew Kinsky , Hansol Kim , Dalton W. Pyle , Joseph Seo , Yassin A. Hassan
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Abstract

This study experimentally investigates the frictional pressure loss and flow regime behavior of a 9 × 9 Helical Cruciform Fuel (HCF) rod bundle, a novel design proposed for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The unique cruciform cross-section, featuring four twisted petals, eliminates the need for conventional spacer grids, offering higher fuel packing fraction and enhanced coolant mixing. To assess these advantages, a high-precision differential pressure measurement system was employed over a Reynolds number range of 200–22,000, covering the laminar, transition, and turbulent flow regimes. The experimentally determined friction factors showed statistically similar trends between the “one pitch” and “bundle-averaged” axial segments, confirming fully developed flow in both regions. Empirical correlations for friction factor and differential pressure per unit length were then developed for each flow regime and validated by comparison with previous HCF and wire-wrapped fuel bundle studies. Results identified flow regime boundaries at approximately Re ≈ 1000 for laminar-to-transition and Re ≈ 8274 for transition-to-turbulent, highlighting distinctly different hydraulic behavior in the three regimes. The findings significantly broaden the limited experimental database on HCF rod bundles, providing new insights into regime-dependent pressure drop characteristics. By refining existing correlations and offering high-fidelity benchmark data, this work advances the development of more efficient and accurate reactor core designs that leverage HCF technology for enhanced thermal performance.
9 × 9螺旋十字形燃料束流态转变与摩擦压降的实验研究
本研究通过实验研究了9 × 9螺旋十字形燃料棒束(HCF)的摩擦压力损失和流动特性,这是一种用于小型模块化反应堆(SMRs)的新型设计。独特的十字形截面,具有四个扭曲的花瓣,消除了对传统间隔网格的需求,提供更高的燃料填充分数和增强的冷却剂混合。为了评估这些优势,在200 - 22000雷诺数范围内采用了高精度压差测量系统,涵盖了层流、过渡流和湍流流态。实验确定的摩擦系数在“单节距”和“束平均”轴段之间显示出统计上相似的趋势,证实了这两个区域的流动充分发展。然后,在每个流动状态下建立摩擦系数和单位长度压差的经验相关性,并通过与之前的HCF和线包燃料束研究进行比较来验证。结果表明,从层流到过渡的流型边界Re≈1000,从过渡到湍流的流型边界Re≈8274,这三种流型的水力特性明显不同。这一发现极大地扩展了有限的HCF抽油杆束实验数据库,为相关压降特性提供了新的见解。通过改进现有的相关性并提供高保真基准数据,这项工作推动了利用HCF技术增强热性能的更高效、更准确的反应堆堆芯设计的发展。
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来源期刊
Nuclear Engineering and Design
Nuclear Engineering and Design 工程技术-核科学技术
CiteScore
3.40
自引率
11.80%
发文量
377
审稿时长
5 months
期刊介绍: Nuclear Engineering and Design covers the wide range of disciplines involved in the engineering, design, safety and construction of nuclear fission reactors. The Editors welcome papers both on applied and innovative aspects and developments in nuclear science and technology. Fundamentals of Reactor Design include: • Thermal-Hydraulics and Core Physics • Safety Analysis, Risk Assessment (PSA) • Structural and Mechanical Engineering • Materials Science • Fuel Behavior and Design • Structural Plant Design • Engineering of Reactor Components • Experiments Aspects beyond fundamentals of Reactor Design covered: • Accident Mitigation Measures • Reactor Control Systems • Licensing Issues • Safeguard Engineering • Economy of Plants • Reprocessing / Waste Disposal • Applications of Nuclear Energy • Maintenance • Decommissioning Papers on new reactor ideas and developments (Generation IV reactors) such as inherently safe modular HTRs, High Performance LWRs/HWRs and LMFBs/GFR will be considered; Actinide Burners, Accelerator Driven Systems, Energy Amplifiers and other special designs of power and research reactors and their applications are also encouraged.
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