A FULLY-COUPLED FINITE ELEMENT FORMULATION FOR ONE-DIMENSIONAL INCOMPRESSIBLE THERMALLY EXPANDABLE FLOW

摘要

This paper provides an overview of a new one-dimensional finite element flow model for incompressible flow. The flow model was developed for use in a new system analysis tool for whole-plant safety analysis of sodium fast reactors. Although the pressure-based formulation was implemented, the use of integral equations in the conservative form ensured the conservation laws of the fluid. A stabilization scheme based on Streamline-Upwind/Petrov-Galerkin and Pressure-Stabilizing/Petrov-Galerkin formulations is also introduced. Additionally, several verification tests are presented, including density wave propagation, steep gradient problems, discharging between tanks, and the conjugate heat transfer in a heat exchanger.