Development of the design of a new working section cooled by a dispersed coolant flow for a stand with induction heating

The paper presents a description of the design of a new working section cooled by a dispersed coolant flow for a stand with induction heating. The choice of the material of the working area and the method of spraying has been substantiated. The first commissioning experiments were carried out in a stationary cooling mode, with the parameters of the coolant p = 1.7 · 105 Pa, G = 3.8 · 10-3 kg/s.

Simulating the hydrocarbon waste pyrolysis in reactors of various designs

The study presents a simulation of pyrolysis reactors of various designs performed in the COMSOL Multiphysics software package. The non-isothermal flow (k–ε turbulent flow) module is used. The advantages this technique has over other commonly used ones are shown. The results indicate that under the same conditions, heating in sectional reactors is more intense. To achieve optimal results, the coolant flow rate in new reactors maybe by an order of magnitude less compared to the conventional design. The use of sectional reactors for multi-flow processing of hydrocarbon waste is advisable. Keywords: sectional reactor; pyrolysis; hydrocarbon waste; heat transfer; turbulent flow.

Analysis of numerical studies on the thermal-hydraulic and neutronic thermal-hydraulic stability of supercritical water reactors

The paper presents a review of modern studies on the potential types of coolant flow instabilities in the supercritical water reactor core. These instabilities have a negative impact on the operational safety of nuclear power plants. Despite the impressive number of computational works devoted to this topic, there still remain unresolved problems. The main disadvantages of the models are associated with the use of one simulated channel instead of a system of two or more parallel channels, the lack consideration for neutronic feedbacks, and the problem of choosing the design ratios for the heat transfer coefficient and hydraulic resistance coefficient under conditions of supercritical water flow. For this reason, it was decided to conduct an analysis that will make it possible to highlight the indicated problems and, on their basis, to formulate general requirements for a model of a nuclear reactor with a light-water supercritical pressure coolant. Consideration is also given to the features of the coolant flow stability in the supercritical water reactor core. In conclusion, the authors note the importance of further computational work using complex models of neutronic thermal-hydraulic stability built on the basis of modern achievements in the field of neutron physics and thermal physics.

Studies of critical heat fluxes in small diameter channels

The paper presents the results of experimental studies of critical heat flows in vertical small diameter channels, when the coolant moves from bottom to top, which were carried out in the Obninsk branch of MEPhI in the 1970s of the last century but have not become widespread due to the lack of demand for their practical use. Nowadays, the interest in such works is manifested, first of all, in the development of compact plants and devices, particularly in nuclear power engineering. As a coolant, water, Freon-12 and 96% ethyl alcohol were used. High velocities of underheated liquid at high heat fluxes on the channel wall lead to the so-called “fast crisis” of heat transfer. In this case, the magnitude of the heat flux depends mainly on the parameters of the coolant flow in the wall zone rather than the flow core. The “slow crisis” is mainly observed at high vapor concentrations, relatively low mass flow rates and in an annular-dispersed flow. The value of the critical heat flow in this case depends mainly on the flow parameters in the core, which are probably close to the average coolant flow parameters. The conditions in the near-wall region are also largely determined by the flow in the core. High heat transfer coefficients in a flow moving at high speed usually result in a much smaller and slower rise in the wall temperature. Sometimes a DNB heat flux can occur bypassing the boiling process. In the core of a VVER-type reactor operating in its nominal mode, surface boiling is present in a number of fuel rods. Probably, surface boiling will also be present in transportable and small-size nuclear power plants. Therefore, an important task is to conduct relevant research in this area.

Optimization of 1D/3D Electro-Thermal Model for Liquid-Cooled Lithium-Ion Capacitor Module in High Power Applications

Lithium-ion capacitor technology (LiC) is well known for its higher power density compared to electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) and higher energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). However, the LiC technology is affected by a high heat generation problem in high-power applications when it is continuously being charged/discharged with high current rates. Such a problem is associated with safety and reliability issues that affect the lifetime of the cell. Therefore, for high-power applications, a robust thermal management system (TMS) is essential to control the temperature evolution of LiCs to ensure safe operation. In this regard, developing accurate electrical and thermal models is vital to design a proper TMS. This work presents a detailed 1D/3D electro-thermal model at module level employing MATLAB/SIMULINK® coupled to the COMSOL Multiphysics® software package. The effect of the inlet coolant flow rate, inlet coolant temperature, inlet and outlet positions, and the number of arcs are examined under the cycling profile of a continuous 150 A current rate without a rest period for 1400 s. The results prove that the optimal scenario for the LCTMS would be the inlet coolant flow rate of 500 mL/min, the inlet temperature of 30 °C, three inlets, three outlets, and three arcs in the coolant path. This scenario decreases the module’s maximum temperature (Tmax) and temperature difference by 11.5% and 79.1%, respectively. Moreover, the electro-thermal model shows ±5% and ±4% errors for the electrical and thermal models, respectively.

A CFD Design Approach for Industrial Size Tubular Reactors for SNG Production from Biogas (CO2 Methanation)

A tubular reactor based on the disk and doughnut concept was designed as an engineering solution for biogas upgrading via CO2 methanation. CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) benchmarks agreed well with experimental and empirical (correlation) data, giving a maximum error of 8.5% and 20% for the chemical reaction and heat transfer models, respectively. Likewise, hot spot position was accurately predicted, with a 5% error. The methodology was used to investigate the effect of two commercially available coolants (thermal oil and molten salts) on overall reactor performance through a parametric study involving four coolant flow rates. Although molten salts did show higher heat transfer coefficients at lower coolant rates, 82% superior, it also increases, by five times, the pumping power. A critical coolant flow rate (3.5 m3/h) was found, which allows both a stable thermal operation and optimum pumping energy consumption. The adopted coolant flow range remains critical to guarantee thermal design validity in correlation-based studies. Due to the disk and doughnut configuration, coolant flow remains uniform, promoting turbulence (Re ≈ 14,000 at doughnut outlet) and maximizing heat transfer at hot spot. Likewise, baffle positioning was found critical to accommodate and reduce stagnant zones, improving the heat transfer. Finally, a reactor design is presented for SNG (Synthetic Natural Gas) production from a 150 Nm3 h−1 biogas plant.