Nonstationary thermal response analysis for a fundamental sodium experiment simulating thermal striping phenomena was carried out using a quasi-direct numerical thermohydraulics simulation code with a third-order upwind scheme for convection terms and a boundary element method code for thermal response evaluation of structures due to random sodium temperature fluctuations developed at Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC). Discussions centered on an applicability of the numerical method for the damping effects of the temperature fluctuations in the course of heat transfer to the inside of structures from the fully turbulent region of sodium flows through the comparisons with the experiment. From these comparisons, it was confirmed that the numerical method has a sufficiently high potential in accuracy to predict the damping effects of the temperature fluctuations related to the thermal striping phenomena. Consequently, it is concluded that the numerical prediction by the method developed in this study can replace conventional experimental approaches using 1:1 or other scale model aiming at the simulation of the thermal striping phenomena in actual liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) plants. Furthermore, economical improvements in the FBR plants can be carried out based on the discussions of optimization and rationalization of the structural design using the numerical methods.

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Topics:
Fluid structure interaction, Numerical analysis, Fluctuations (Physics), Sodium, Temperature, Damping, Liquid metal fast breeder reactors, Simulation, Turbulence, Boundary element methods, Convection, Experimental methods, Flow (Dynamics), Heat transfer, Nuclear fuels, Optimization, Structural design, Thermal hydraulics
1.
Chapman
M.
,
1981
, “
FRAM-Nonlinear Damping Algorithms for the Continuity Equation
,”
Journal of Computational Physics
, Vol.
44
, pp.
323
–
339
.
2.
Kirillov, P. L., Subbotin, V. I., and Ushakov, P. A., 1967, “Zhidkiye Metally (Liquid Metals),” Atomizdat, Moscow, USSR.
3.
Leonard
B. P.
,
1978
, “
A Stable and Accurate Convective Modelling Procedure Based on Quadratic Upstream Interpolation
,”
Computational Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering
, Vol.
19
, pp.
59
–
98
.
4.
Muramatsu
T.
, and
Ninokata
H.
,
1992
, “
Thermal Striping Temperature Fluctuation Analysis Using the Algebraic Stress Turbulence Model in Water and Sodium
,”
JSME International Journal
, Vol.
35
, No.
4
, pp.
486
–
496
.
5.
Muramatsu, T., 1993a, “Intensity and Frequency Evaluations of Sodium Temperature Fluctuations Related to Thermal Striping Phenomena Based on Numerical Methods,” Proceedings, Refined Flow Modelling and Turbulence Measurements, Paris, France, pp. 351–358.
6.
Muramatsu, T., 1993b, “Frequency Evaluation of Temperature Fluctuations Related to Thermal Striping Phenomena Using a Direct Numerical Simulation Code DINUS-3,” ASME PVP-C, Vol. 253, pp. 111–121.
7.
Muramatsu, T., 1994, “Investigation of Sodium Temperature Fluctuation Characteristics Related to Thermal Striping Phenomena Using the DINUS-3 Code,” ASME PVP-Vol. 270, pp. 23–27.
8.
Muramatsu
T.
, and
Ninokata
H.
,
1996
, “
Development of Thermohydraulics Computer Programs for Thermal Striping Phenomena
,”
Nuclear Technology
, Vol.
113
, pp.
54
–
72
.
9.
Muramatsu, T., 1996, “Thermal Response Evaluation of Austenitic Stainless Steels Due to Random Sodium Temperature Fluctuations Using BEMSET and DINUS-3 Codes,” ASME PVP-C, Vol. 337, pp. 215–223.
10.
Muramatsu, T., 1997, “Development of Analytical Model for Evaluating Temperature Fluctuation in Coolant (XI), Validation of the Evaluation Model for Thermally Fluid-Structure Interaction Phenomena,” PNC Technical Report No. TN9410 97-039.
11.
Rodi
W.
,
1976
, “
A New Algebraic Relation for Calculating the Reynolds Stress
,”
ZAMM
, Vol.
56
, pp.
219
–
221
.
This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright © 1999
 by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
You do not currently have access to this content.