Publication: Study of natural convection on the triga MK.11 Puspati (RTP) research reactor via computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
Date
2017
Authors
Khairi Anwar Mohd Fuad Ngo
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Abstract
The TRIGA MK: II (RTP) PUSPATI is a research reactor in Malaysia solely constructed for the purpose of research, training, research and development, as well as for public education and awareness towards nuclear technology. The reactor consists of a cylindrical pool which houses the reactor core in which it sits at the bottom of the cylindrical pool. The natural circulation of light water plays an important role of cooling mechanism to the research reactor whereby the water from the bottom of the pool flows all the way to the top by the means of temperature differences. The region around the reactor core have a higher temperature since the reactor houses the uranium compound of U-ZrH1.6 which acts as fuel for the reactor and can have a maximum temperature up to 500°C. The development of technology in solving complex numerical equations through the means of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) have allowed complex geometry to be analyzed in a manner where a grid was deployed into the geometry to allow approximate values to be produced through numerical solutions. In this project, the ANSYS Fluent CFD packages were deployed in order to analyze the flow and temperature distribution of the reactor cylindrical pool. The analysis was done on a 2D geometry whereby some of the elements that represents minor flow resistance towards the flow of natural circulation was not modelled. The Boussinesq approximation have allowed the buoyancy-driven flow of natural convection to be modelled in the working fluid which in this case is water. The results obtained by the analysis partially exhibit the behavior of natural convection and it was believed that a transient approach analysis was more suitable in exhibiting the flow of natural convection.
Description
TA357.5.D37.K43 2017
Keywords
Computational fluid dynamis , Nuclear reactors