Subchannel Analysis Method at A Glance

Lecture Note on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics

Syeilendra Pramuditya Department of Nuclear Engineering Tokyo Institute of Technology December 2012
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Subchannel Analysis Method

Estimation of:
Fuel temperature (conduction eq.) Clad temperature (heat transfer & conduction eq.) Coolant temperature (transport eqs.) Flow field (transport eqs.)

Fuel Subassembly

Subchannel Analysis Method

Governing equations: time-averaged transport equations
c + c v = J + cv t

unsteady term + convection term = diffusion term + source term + fluctuation term

c Mass Linear momentum Internal energy 1

v

J 0

pI + q 1

( q p v + )

Subchannel Analysis Method

The basic equations are discretized based on 2D nonorthogonal subchannel geometry Basically it is a finite volume coarse grid CFD

Three types of control volume (CV)

l axial plane i subchannel number under consideration

Three types of subchannel

mk adjacent subchannel number (k = 1, 2,3) k gap number between subchannel i and mk

Subchannel Analysis Method

Internal energy Vi ,l

n +1 i ,l

n +1 i ,l

n i ,l

n i ,l n + E = Qcn,+,1l + Qw,+i1l i ,

Discretized equations

t 3 n +1 n +1 n +1 p i ,l {w A} {w A} + k {u n +1 A} Qtn,i ,l i ,l +1/ 2 i ,l 1/ 2 k ,l k =1
Axial momentum Vi ,l +1/ 2

Need modeling

w i ,l +1/ 2 t

n +1

n i ,l +1/ 2

+ Mz = { p n +1} A + Rz

i ,l +1

({ p } A )
n +1

i ,l
n i ,l +1/ 2

n +1/ 2 i ,l +1/ 2

Vi ,l +1/ 2

Transverse momentum Vi ,l +1/ 2

n k ,l

Need modeling
n k ,l

n +1 k ,l

+ Mx = k { p n +1} A + Rx

mk ,l

({ p } A )
n +1

i ,l

n +1/ 2 k ,l

Need modeling

Subchannel Analysis Method

Four equations and twelve unknowns (unsolvable)

Subchannel Analysis Method

Subchannel Analysis Method

Axial flow resistance Rz =

(
A fs

Az w2 pn + n dA = pz = fz V 2 De
Pipe models Engel/Novendstern models Rehme model Cheng-Todreas model

Transverse flow resistance Rx =

(
A fs

Ax u 2 pn + n dA = px = fx V 2 DV
Gunter-Shaw

Subchannel Analysis Method

Inter-channel mixing of energy

Turbulent term of the internal energy equation Qt =

A ff

ev n dA = Wij*, H C p Ti T j
COBRA model Cheng-Todreas model

Wij*, H = Wij*, M = i Sij Gk

i =

Cmix DV ,k

ij Re

0.125 k

Subchannel Analysis Method

Substituting the two momentum equations into mass and energy equations: win,l++11/ 2 = a0 + a1 ( pin,l+1 pin,l++11 ) win,l+11/ 2 = b0 + b1 ( pin,l+11 pin,l+1 )
n+ ukn,+1 = c0 + c1 ( pmk1l pin,l+1 ) l ,

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We obtain: Two equations and two unknowns (solvable)

Subchannel Analysis Method

To solve this algebraic equation system, the mass and energy equations can be considered as zero-valued non-linear functions:

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Fmass Fmass ( p, T ) = 0 Fenergy Fenergy ( p, T ) = 0

This system is then solved by using the multivariable Newton-Raphson method:
J r X = F r
r Fmass pi ,l r J = r F energy pi ,l r Fmass Ti ,l r Fenergy r Fmass pi ,l 1 r Fenergy r Fmass pi ,l +1 r Fenergy r Fmass pm1,l r Fenergy r Fmass pm 2,l r Fenergy r Fmass pm 3,l r Fenergy pm 3,l T

Ti ,l

pi ,l 1

pi ,l +1

pm1,l

pm 2,l

X = pi ,l
r

Ti ,l pi ,l 1 pi ,l +1 pm1,l pm 2,l

pm3,l

r Fmass F = r Fenergy

Subchannel Analysis Method

With some matrix manipulation:
pi ,l c11 c12 + Ti ,l c21 c22 c13 c23 c14 c24 pi ,l 1 pi ,l +1 g c15 pm1,l = 1 c25 g pm 2,l 2 p m 3,l

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pi ,l + c11 pi ,l 1 + c12 pi ,l +1 + c13 pm1,l + c14 pm 2,l + c15 pm3,l = g1

Ti ,l = g 2 ( c21 pi ,l 1 + c22 pi ,l +1 + c23 pm1,l + c24 pm 2,l + c25 pm3,l )

Discrete Poisson equation for pressure correction:

2 ( p ) =

Subchannel Analysis Method

A1,1 A2,1 A1,2 A2,2 A3,2 A2,3 A3,3 A3,4 Al ,l 1 Al ,l Al ,l +1 AL 1, L 2 AL 1, L 1 AL , L 1 P B 1 1 P2 B2 P3 B3 = B Pl l AL 1, L PL 1 BL 1 AL , L PL BL

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a11 Al ,l = Pl = p1,l
Bl = b1,l

aI , I
p I ,l
T

p2,l pi ,l

b2,l bi ,l bI ,l

Subchannel Analysis Method

The Block Tridiagonal Matrix system is then solved either by direct or iterative methods. Solution procedures: - Gaussian elimination (direct) - Gauss-Seidel (iterative)

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Subchannel Analysis Method

PRE-PROCESSOR Translating the problem under consideration into appropriate input files (e.g. tabular data of SC, rod, gap numbering, power density at each cell, form friction factor at arbitrary locations, etc). START

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SOLVER

POST-PROCESSOR Displaying the calculation result into something meaningful to the user (e.g. nice fancy colorful images and graphs).

Initialize

Steady state

FINISH time = stop time

Time counter time = print time Output Newton-Rhapson Poisson solver

Subchannel Analysis Method

Pre-processor

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Subchannel Analysis Method

Example of problem specification

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Rod radial nodalization

Axial Power Profile (EOC) 1.8 1.6 1.4 Relative power 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 -500

500

Bundle axial nodalization

1000 1500 z [mm]

2000

2500

3000

Subchannel Analysis Method

Velocity vector

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100% power & flow Re 16200 Radial skew 3.0 Wall heat loss 0%

500 480 460 440 420 400 380 360 340 320 300 280 z [cm] 260 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100

Po we r

80

Sk e

60

w
He los at s

40 20 -2 -1 0 x [cm] 1 2

Subchannel Analysis Method

Flow recirculation
Velocity vector

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1% power & flow Re 162 Radial skew 3.0 Wall heat loss 10%

500 480 460 440 420 400 380 360 340 320 300 280 z [cm] 260 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100

Po we r

80 60

Sk e

w
He los at s

40 20 0 -3 -2 -1 0 x [cm] 1 2

Comparison with Experimental Data

Bundle Characteristics
Parameters Fluid Number of rods Heated length [mm] Rod diameter (D) [mm] Pitch (P) [mm] P/D Edge pitch (W) [mm] W/D Wire diameter [mm] Wire axial pitch (H) [mm] H/D Flat-to-flat distance [mm] Power profile Sodium 19 533.4 5.842 7.2644 1.243 7.3914 1.265 1.4224 304.8 52.2 34.1 Uniform Run 020472-1459 020472-1118 020472-0949 020372-1443 020372-1054 012172-1447 012172-1338 022472-1143

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Experiment Parameters
Flow rate gal/min 0.74 2.1 2.6 4.2 5 32 42 55 Power kW/ft.rod 0.15 0.46 0.54 0.89 0.94 4.8 4.8 9.7 Tin [F] 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 dT [F] 193 192 175 190 190 130 97 158

*M.H. Fontana, R.E. MacPherson, P.A. Gnadt and L.F. Parsly, Temperature distribution in the duct wall and at the exit of a 19-rod simulated LMFBR fuel assembly (FFM Bundle 2A), Nuclear Technology, Vol. 24, 1974, pp. 176200.

Comparison with Experimental Data

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Subchannel and rod numbering

Gap numbering

Calculation domain: 19 pins 42 subchannels 60 gaps 38/74 axial planes

Boundary conditions: Inlet coolant temperature Total mass flow rate Outlet pressure Constant wall heat flux

Comparison with Experimental Data

Mass flow rate 2.86 kg/s 1.6 1.4 Normalized temperature 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 Corner-to-corner distance [mm] 15 20
Cold dimensions Hot dimensions Exp. data

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Max Error: 11.9% RMS error: 6.2%

Max Error: 10.2% RMS error: 6.9%

T* =

Ti Tin , Tout ,avg Tin

Tout ,avg =

T
i =1 N i =1

i wi Ai
,
Max Error: 5.2% RMS error: 3.5%
i i i

w A

Comparison with Experimental Data

Bundle Characteristics
Parameters Fluid Number of rods Heated length [mm] Rod diameter (D) [mm] Pitch (P) [mm] P/D Edge pitch (W) [mm] W/D Wire diameter [mm] Wire axial pitch (H) [mm] H/D Flat-to-flat distance [mm] Power profile Axial power peaking Sodium 37 930 6.50 7.87 1.21 8.003 1.23 1.32 307 47.2 50.4 Chopped cosine 1.21 F37P20 F37P27 G37P22 G37P25 L37P43 2810 1530 7520 2810 1370 80000 88600 20700 81000 130000 1.17 1.17 1.34 1.34 1.34 Run No. B37P02 C37P06 E37P13 E37P17

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Experiment Parameters
Re 11200 2810 739 7610 Gr 13600 52800 61100 20100 Power skew [max/avrg] 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.17

*F. Namekawa, A. Ito, K. Mawatari, Buoyancy Effects on Wire-Wrapped Rod Bundle Heat Transfer in an LMFBR Fuel Assembly, National Heat Transfer Conference, 1984.

Comparison with Experimental Data

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L2 HEATED LENGTH 930 mm

915 mm

Subchannel and rod numbering

Gap numbering

Calculation domain: 37 pins 78 subchannels 114 gaps 38 axial planes (dz = 2.583 cm)

Boundary conditions: Inlet coolant temperature Inlet total mass flow rate Outlet pressure Constant wall heat flux

Comparison with Experimental Data

Re 7610, Gr 20100, Skew 1.17
1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 -25

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Re 11200, Gr 13600, Skew 1.0 1.6 Normalized Temperature 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 -25 Exp. data Case C04 (Hot) Case C04 (Cold) -15 -5 5 15 Flat-to-Flat Distance [mm] 25

Normalized Temperature

Exp. data Simulation

-15 -5 5 15 Flat-to-Flat Distance [mm] 25

Re 7520, Gr 20700, Skew 1.34

1.6 Normalized Temperature 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 -25

ErrorMAX [%] Skew 1.00 Skew 1.17

Exp. data Simulation
-15 -5 5 15 Flat-to-Flat Distance [mm] 25

ErrorRMS [%] 8.5 (Cold) 5.5 (Hot) 3.4 (Hot) 5.6 (Hot)

9.8 (Cold) 8.1 (Hot) 5.4 (Hot) 9.3 (Hot)

Skew 1.34

Subchannel Analysis Method

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