Application of Large-Eddy Simulation to Pressurized Thermal Shock Problem

Author(s):  
M. S. Loginov ◽  
E. M. J. Komen ◽  
A. K. Kuczaj

Life span assessment is a very important issue for the nuclear community. A serious threat to the life span of a Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) is an occurrence of the Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) during an Emergency Core Coolant (ECC) injection in a loss-of-coolant accident. Traditional system codes fail to predict the complex three-dimensional flow phenomena resulting from such an ECC injection. Improved results have been obtained using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis based on the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations. However, it has been shown also that current transient RANS approaches are less capable to predict complex flow features in the downcomer of the RPV. More advanced CFD methods like Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) are required for modeling of these complex flow phenomena in the downcomer. The current paper addresses the feasibility of the application of LES for single-phase PTS. Furthermore, the required grid resolution for such LES analyses is identified by evaluation of solutions on different meshes. A buoyancy-driven PTS experiment has been considered. This experiment has been performed in the 1:5 linear scale Rossendorf Coolant Mixing Model (ROCOM) facility. In the applied numerical model, the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved in the LES formulation, with an additional transport equation for a scalar, which is responsible for driving the embedded buoyancy term in the momentum equations. Instantaneous mixing characteristics are investigated based on evaluation of the scalar concentration. The analysis presented in this paper indicates that the application of LES is feasible nowadays. It is demonstrated that the mixing in the downcomer is quite sensitive to small turbulent disturbances at the ECC inlet, i.e., two simulations performed with slightly different fluctuations at inlet result in substantially different flow in the downcomer. This complicates the analysis of the data from simulations and suggests that validation against experimental data should not be performed using single physical experiment.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiajun Chen ◽  
Yue Sun ◽  
Hang Zhang ◽  
Dakui Feng ◽  
Zhiguo Zhang

Mixing in pipe junctions can play an important role in exciting force and distribution of flow in pipe network. This paper investigated the cross pipe junction and proposed an improved plan, Y-shaped pipe junction. The numerical study of a three-dimensional pipe junction was performed for calculation and improved understanding of flow feature in pipe. The filtered Navier–Stokes equations were used to perform the large-eddy simulation of the unsteady incompressible flow in pipe. From the analysis of these results, it clearly appears that the vortex strength and velocity non-uniformity of centerline, can be reduced by Y-shaped junction. The Y-shaped junction not only has better flow characteristic, but also reduces head loss and exciting force. The results of the three-dimensional improvement analysis of junction can be used in the design of pipe network for industry.


2011 ◽  
Vol 243-249 ◽  
pp. 1578-1582
Author(s):  
Xu Yong Ying ◽  
Fu You Xu ◽  
Zhe Zhang ◽  
Yong Gang Tan

In this study, aerodynamic forces on a bridge pylon are investigated by three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics using Large eddy simulation (LES) technology. The main objective is to identify the wind load parameters of the pylon and examine the accuracy of LES model applied to the bluff-body flows. The numerical results were compared with the available wind tunnel test results. Also, a comparison between using LES and Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations with the RNG model have been made. It is found that the LES model competes the RNG model in accuracy for predictions of aerodynamic forces on the pylon.


2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nagendra Dittakavi ◽  
Aditya Chunekar ◽  
Steven Frankel

Large eddy simulation of turbulent cavitating flow in a venturi nozzle is conducted. The fully compressible Favre-filtered Navier–Stokes equations are coupled with a homogeneous equilibrium cavitation model. The dynamic Smagorinsky subgrid-scale turbulence model is employed to close the filtered nonlinear convection terms. The equations are numerically integrated in the context of a generalized curvilinear coordinate system to facilitate geometric complexities. A sixth-order compact finite difference scheme is employed for the Navier–Stokes equations with the AUSM+-up scheme to handle convective terms in the presence of large density gradients. The stiffness of the system due to the incompressibility of the liquid phase is addressed through an artificial increase in the Mach number. The simulation predicts the formation of a vapor cavity at the venturi throat with an irregular shedding of the small scale vapor structures near the turbulent cavity closure region. The vapor formation at the throat is observed to suppress the velocity fluctuations due to turbulence. The collapse of the vapor structures in the downstream region is a major source of vorticity production, resulting into formation of hair-pin vortices. A detailed analysis of the vorticity transport equation shows a decrease in the vortex-stretching term due to cavitation. A substantial increase in the baroclinic torque is observed in the regions where the vapor structures collapse. A spectra of the pressure fluctuations in the far-field downstream region show an increase in the acoustic noise at high frequencies due to cavitation.


2013 ◽  
Vol 394 ◽  
pp. 128-133
Author(s):  
Yuan Ding Wang ◽  
Jun Jie Tan ◽  
Xiao Wei Cai ◽  
Deng Feng Ren

Large Eddy Simulation (LES) based on the least square meshless method was proposed in the present paper to simulate the classical turbulent flow around a stationary 2D circular cylinder. The subgrid scale model of Smagorinsky-Lily was employed to close the Navier-Stokes equations filtered by Favre filter. The Reynolds number is 3900 which means that the flow is subcritical and the wake is fully turbulent but the cylinder boundary is still laminar. Results obtained in this paper were evaluated by comparison with published experimental results and other numerical results. The results obtained in the present work show better agreement with the experimental values than other two-dimensional LES results .


2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (16) ◽  
pp. 2517-2527 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZHANHONG WAN ◽  
ZHILIN SUN ◽  
ZHENJIANG YOU ◽  
QIYAN ZHANG

Sediment transport in fully developed turbulent open channel flow has been investigated using large eddy simulation (LES) of the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. The scalar transport equation of the sediments concentration, which is based on the continuous-phase approach, is adopted. The settling process is taken into account with a modified settling velocity appearing in the sediment concentration equation. A Smagorinsky model allowing for the interaction between the fluid flow and the suspended sediment is used to simulate the unresolved, subgrid scale terms. The LES results are compared with the experimental data, and good general agreement is achieved.


Author(s):  
Kevin Menzies

The gas turbine presents significant challenges to any computational fluid dynamics techniques. The combination of a wide range of flow phenomena with complex geometry is difficult to model in the context of Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solvers. We review the potential for large eddy simulation (LES) in modelling the flow in the different components of the gas turbine during a practical engineering design cycle. We show that while LES has demonstrated considerable promise for reliable prediction of many flows in the engine that are difficult for RANS it is not a panacea and considerable application challenges remain. However, for many flows, especially those dominated by shear layer mixing such as in combustion chambers and exhausts, LES has demonstrated a clear superiority over RANS for moderately complex geometries although at significantly higher cost which will remain an issue in making the calculations relevant within the design cycle.


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