Simplified CFD model of coolant channels typical of a plate-type fuel element: an exhaustive verification of the simulations

Abstract

The use of parallel plate-type fuel assemblies is common in nuclear research reactors. One of the main problems of this fuel element configuration is the hydroelastic instability of the plates caused by the high flow velocities. The current work is focused on the hydrodynamic characterization of coolant channels typical of a flat-plate fuel element, using a numerical model developed with the commercial code ANSYS CFX. Numerical results are compared to accurate analytical solutions, considering two turbulence models and three different fluid meshes. For this study, the results demonstrated that the most suitable turbulence model is the k-e model. The discretization error is estimated using the Grid Convergence Index method. Despite its simplicity, this model generates precise flow predictions.