Influence of void ratio on phase change of thermal energy storage for heat pipe receiver

In this paper, influence of void ratio on phase change of thermal storage unit for heat pipe receiver under microgravity is numerically simulated. Accordingly, mathematical model is set up. A solidification-melting model upon the enthalpy-porosity method is specially provided to deal with phase changes. The liquid fraction distribution of thermal storage unit of heat pipe receiver is shown. The fluctuation of melting ratio in PCM canister is indicated. Numerical results are compared with experimental ones in Japan. The results show that void cavity prevents the process of phase change greatly. PCM melts slowly during sunlight periods and freezes slowly during eclipse periods as void ratio increases. The utility ratio of PCM during both sunlight periods and eclipse periods decreases obviously with the improvement of void ratio. The thermal resistance of void cavity is much higher than that of PCM canister wall. Void cavity prevents the heat transfer between PCM zone and canister wall.

Study of Shield Design for Shock Mitigation

Detonation of high explosive due to impact of fragments and flyer plates was modeled using hydrodynamic computer code. Included in the model were the warhead consisting of casing and high explosive (which is H-6 in this case). An 80-gram fragment simulated projectile (FSP) was used as the projectile. Flyer plates considered are single- and multi-layer structures. A reactive flow model which is able to capture the initiation, propagation and complete detonation or deflagration of detonation was used to predict the occurrence of complete detonation. Analyses were performed with several impact velocities to obtain the velocity beyond which complete detonation would occur. Shields have been used to mitigate mechanical shocks. It has been well established that shields with multi-layered materials with impedance mismatch would reduce shock levels significantly. A numerical study was conducted to derive an optimum shield design with this concept. The model used encompasses a warhead-canister system. It was assumed that one of the two adjacent warheads would detonate. The canister wall was made of multi-layered materials consisting of layers of materials made of metal and lucite. This material combination represents a medium degree of mismatch while still exhibiting certain amount of strength. The model determines the pressure level at explosive in the neighboring warhead. The pressure level was used to determine if detonation would occur, and provided a measure of effectiveness on the shields for shock mitigation.

Release of Radionuclides from the Near Field by Various Pathways. The Influence by the Sorption Properties in the Near Field.

ABSTRACTRadionuclides from a damaged canister for spent fuel will leak out through a damage in the canister wall and spread through the surrounding backfill. They will further migrate into water bearing fractures in the rock, up through the backfill into the damaged zone around the drift and into the drift itself. Some substance may also diffuse through the rock to adjacent fracture zones. Underway the nuclides will sorb on the materials along the transport paths. This very complex and variable transport geometry has been modelled using a compartment model which is based on simplifying a full 3 dimensional integrated finite difference model. The simplifications are supplemented by introducing analytical and semianalytical solutions at sensitive locations such as entrances and exits from damages and fractures and in the flowing water. The model has been tested against full 3D solutions with good results. Sample calculations are presented and discussed for a nuclide with the chemical properties of Pu-239.