CFD Modeling of a Small Modular Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor: Steam Generator Temperature-Dependent Heat Sink Function

IVAN K. UMEZU; DARIO M. GODINO; CRISTIAN OLIVEIRA; ANTONELLA L. COSTA; CLARYSSON A. SILVA; CLAUBIA PEREIRA

Rio de Janeiro

Congreso; International Nuclear Atlantic Conference - INAC 2024; 2024

Agencia Brasilera

Having Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as possible alternatives to expand nuclear power for a low-carbon energy mix, advancements in its safety and performance assessments become increasingly important. This extended abstract presents the process of defining and implementing a temperature-dependent heat sink function to a small modular Lead-cooled Fast Reactor’s Steam Generators (SGs). The nuclear system of choice was Blykalla’s 8 M Wth SEALER Arctic [1], which was modeled using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in ANSYS Fluent 2019 R3. Although only the SGs are the focus of this Extended Abstract, the whole SEALER primary circuit was modeled and simulated under a steady-state condition. The following sections will focus on the process of defining the SGs’ heat sink function, which is combined with a porous medium model to act as a momentum sink. Eight functions were evaluated, leading to only one, considered adequate for the steady-state simulation of the system.