Multiphysics Simulations of the Complex 3D Geometry of the High Flux Isotope Reactor Fuel Elements Using COMSOL.

摘要

The fundamental design of the HFIR is a beryllium-reflected, light water cooled, HEU-fueled research reactor operating at 85 MW power. The original HEU design for HFIR was at a power level of 100 MW. To remove the core heat, a highly turbulent water flow passes through involute-shaped coolant channels from the top to the bottom of the core. Several physical phenomena--including turbulent flow, conjugate heat transfer, thermal-structure interaction, and fluid-structure interaction--are of significant interest for the thermal safety analyses of the proposed new HFIR LEU fuel core.