scholarly journals RMC/ANSYS MULTI-PHYSICS COUPLING SOLUTIONS FOR HEAT PIPE COOLED REACTORS ANALYSES

2021 ◽  
Vol 247 ◽  
pp. 06007
Author(s):  
Yugao Ma ◽  
Minyun Liu ◽  
Erhui Chen ◽  
Biheng Xie ◽  
Xiaoming Chai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Solid State ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Coupling Scheme ◽  
Mechanical Coupling ◽  
Continuous Energy ◽  
Geometric Deformation ◽  
Space Nuclear Power

The heat pipe cooled reactor is a solid-state reactor using heat pipes to passively transfer heat generated from the reactor, which is a potential and near-term space nuclear power system. This paper introduces the coupling scheme between the continuous energy Reactor Monte Carlo (RMC) code and the finite element method commercial software ANSYS. Monte Carlo method has the advantages of flexible geometry modeling and continuous-energy nuclear cross sections. ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL) is used to determine the detailed temperature distributions and geometric deformation. The on-the-fly temperature treatment of cross sections was adopted in RMC code to solve the memory problems and to speed up simulations. This paper proposed a geometric updating strategy and reactivity feedback methods for the geometric deformation of the solid-state core. The neutronic and thermal-mechanical coupling platform is developed to analyze and further to optimize the heat pipe cooled reactor design. The present coupling codes analyze a 2D central cross-section model for MEGAPOWER heat pipe cooled reactor. The thermal-mechanical feedback reveals that the solid-state reactor has a negative reactivity feedback (~1.5 pcm/K) while it has a deterioration in heat transfer due to the expansion.

Performance analysis of heat pipe radiator unit for space nuclear power reactor

2017 ◽  
Vol 103 ◽  
pp. 74-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenglong Wang ◽  
Jing Chen ◽  
Suizheng Qiu ◽  
Wenxi Tian ◽  
Dalin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Performance Analysis ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Reactor ◽  
Nuclear Power Reactor ◽  
Space Nuclear Power

Neutronic and Thermal-Mechanical Coupling Schemes for Heat Pipe Cooled Reactor Designs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yugao Ma ◽  
Minyun Liu ◽  
Wenbin Han ◽  
Biheng Xie ◽  
Xiaoming Chai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Solid State ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
Thermal Analyses ◽  
Monte Carlo Program ◽  
Relaxation Methods ◽  
Water Reactors

Abstract Space fission power systems can enable ambitious solar-system and deep-space science missions. The heat pipe cooled reactor is one of the most potential candidates for near-term space power supply, featured with safety, simplicity, reliability, and modularity. Heat pipe cooled reactors are solid-state and high temperature (up to 1500 K) reactors, where the thermal expansion is remarkable and the mechanical response significantly influences the neutronics and thermal analyses. Due to the considerable difference between heat pipe cooled reactors and traditional water reactors in the structure and design concept, the coupling solutions for light water reactors cannot be directly applied to heat pipe cooled reactor analyses. Therefore, new coupling framework and program need to consider the coupling effects among neutronics, heat transfer as well as mechanics. Based on the Monte Carlo program RMC and commercial finite element program ANSYS Mechanical APDL, this work introduces the three coupling fields of neutronics (N), thermal (T), and mechanics (M) for heat pipe cooled reactors. The neutronic and thermal-mechanical (N/T-M) coupling strategy is developed theoretically, focusing on the formulation of the nonlinear problem, iteration schemes, and relaxation methods. Besides, the finite element method and the Monte Carlo program use different meshes and geometry construction methods. The spatial mapping and geometry reconstruction are also essential for the N/T-M coupling, which is discussed and established in detail. Furthermore, the N/T-M coupling methods are applied to the preliminary self-designed 10 kWe space heat pipe cooled reactor. Coupling shows that the thermal-mechanical feedback in the solid-state reactor has negative reactivity feedback (−2007 pcm) while it has a deterioration in heat transfer due to the expansion in the gas gap.

Fabrication and testing of thermionic heat pipe modules for space nuclear power systems

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Hartenstine ◽  
Kevin Horner-Richardson ◽  
Hyop S. Rhee
Keyword(s):  
Power Systems ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Space Nuclear Power

One Step Method for Multigroup Adjoint Neutron Flux Through Continuous Energy Monte Carlo Calculation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaotong Shang ◽  
Guanlin Shi ◽  
Kan Wang
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Neutron Flux ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Monte Carlo Code ◽  
Event Analysis ◽  
Step Method ◽  
Kinetics Parameters ◽  
Transient Event ◽  
Continuous Energy ◽  
Deterministic Methods

The adjoint neutron flux is vital in the analysis of reactor kinetics parameters and reactor transient events. Both deterministic and Monte Carlo methods have been developed for the adjoint neutron flux calculation on the basis of multi-group cross sections which may vary significantly among different types of reactors. The iterated fission probability (IFP) method is introduced to calculate the neutron importance which is able to represent the adjoint neutron flux in continuous energy problem and have been applied to the calculation of kinetics parameters. However, the adjoint neutron flux can’t be obtained directly and applied to both Monte Carlo transient event analysis and deterministic methods. In this study, a method based on IFP is studied and implemented in Monte Carlo code RMC. The multi-group adjont neutron flux can be obtained directly through the discretization of energy and space with the modification of fission neutrons through continuous energy Monte Carlo calculations. The obtained multi-group adjoint neutron flux can be used in both Monte Carlo transient analysis and deterministic methods.

Parametric analysis of a number of space nuclear power systems with a heat-pipe energy-conversion system

Atomic Energy ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 541-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Gryaznov ◽  
V. A. Evtikhin ◽  
A. N. Chumanov ◽  
I. P. Bogush ◽  
I. E. Lyublinskii ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Systems ◽  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Parametric Analysis ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Conversion System ◽  
Energy Conversion System ◽  
Space Nuclear Power

Fabrication and Testing of Thermionic Heat Pipe Modules for Space Nuclear Power Systems

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Horner-Richardson ◽  
John R. Hartenstine ◽  
Donald M. Ernst ◽  
Michael G. Jacox
Keyword(s):  
Power Systems ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Space Nuclear Power
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