Experimental and numerical investigation of a porous receiver equipped with Raschig Rings for CSP applications

A Validation Roadmap of Multi-Physics Simulators of the Resonator of MW-Class CW Gyrotrons for Fusion Applications

“…The calibrated value of k eff = 2000 W/m•K was kept frozen. A very good consistency was found between the computed and measured values, in the entire flow rate and heat flux ranges, with the computed values always lying in the error bar of the measured data [32].…”

“…A delicate aspect is always the selection of a suitable turbulence model for the coolant flow within the cooling structure adopted for the refrigeration of the cavity. In the case of RR, mini-channels and micro-channels, the SST-Menter κ-ω model has been widely used [31][32][33] for the simulation of all the different devices (see more on that in the validation section below). This model is able to work as a standard κ-ω model in the near wall region and as the κ-ε model in the fully turbulent region, through a blending function adding a cross diffusion term in the main stream.…”

“…The validation of the hydraulic model of the cavity equipped with RRs relied on the tests of the planar mock-up with two different fluids (subcooled water tests at Areva [38], air tests in a solar furnace at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria PSA, Spain [32]) and on the test of a dedicated cylindrical mock-up [31]. The interpretation of the entire set of hydraulic tests performed on the planar mock-up is described in [32], in terms of pseudo-dimensionless variables in order to be able to show on the same plot data points coming from tests performed using different fluids. Figure 7a collects the measured and computed results, showing a good capability of the numerical model to reproduce the experimental data, notwithstanding the large error bar affecting them.…”

“…Figure 7a A second cylindrical mock-up was tested at the THALES premises in 2019, equipped with circular MCs. A detailed validation of simulations performed with different RANS turbulence closures on the hydraulic characteristic, see Figure 8, with a rigorous assessment of the errors associated to the measured and simulated data through a [32]). (b) Comparison between measured and simulated hydraulic characteristic for the cylindrical mock-up equipped with RRs (modified from [31]).…”

“…Figure 7. (a) Pseudo-dimensionless hydraulic characteristic (Re* as a function of f*) of the planar mock-up equipped with RR: experimental (open symbols) and computed (solid symbols) (modified from[32]). (b) Comparison between measured and simulated hydraulic characteristic for the cylindrical mock-up equipped with RRs (modified from[31]).…”