A simple novel and fast computational model for the LIVE-L4

Abstract

The LIVE-L4 test was conducted to investigate the transient and steady state behavior of the molten pool and the crust influenced by different heat generation rates. The main purpose of this work is to develop a simple novel model of the LIVE code to calculate the entire process of the LIVE-L4 test after the melt of KNO3–NaNO3 poured into the test vessel. The LIVE code is a transient code and can be used as a fast computational program to calculate the LIVE tests. Natural convection heat transfer in the melt pool, crust behavior, heat conduction in the vessel wall, and radiative heat transfer were all considered in the model of the LIVE code.In the LIVE code, Asfia–Dhir correlations were used to calculate average and local heat transfer coefficients in the melt pool. With the assumption of no considering the composition change of local melt at melt/crust interface, many important parameters, including the melt pool temperature, heat flux distribution along the vessel wall, the thickness of the crust in steady state, and crust growth rate during the test, were calculated and compared with the LIVE-L4 experimental data.The melt pool Nu calculated by the LIVE code is larger than experimental data due to the use of Asfia–Dhir correlation in the LIVE code, which caused the average heat flux through the vessel wall larger than experiment data except the heating phase of 5 kW. It is attributed that the temperature difference between the melt pool temperature and the interface temperature at melt/crust measured in the test is larger than that calculated by the LIVE code due to the constant interface temperature at melt/crust of 284 °C used in the LIVE code. Crust growth rate calculated by the LIVE code was consistent well with the experiment data. Calculation results indicated that the LIVE code could generally predict the main parameters of the melt and crust well during the LIVE-L4 test.