Numerical evaluation of passive autocatalytic recombiner performance under post-accident conditions

Abstract

In the accident conditions, the operational behavior of passive autocatalytic recombiners (PARs) has garnered significant attention, particularly with regards to the complicated atmosphere in the containment. This paper aims to systematically study and analyze the PAR performance under post-accident conditions. CFD simulation resolving individual catalytic channels of PARs provide valuable insights into hydrogen consumption performance and temperature distribution. A simplified model of PARs, consisting of a gas channel and two catalyst plates, was developed using the CFD software STAR-CCM+. One-step reaction mechanism was used in this model to define the hydrogen consumption rate on the catalytic surface. To study the variation in gas concentration and temperature distribution, physical values of interest were extracted from designated locations. An analysis of catalyst section was conducted to provide a comprehensive understanding of the reaction process occurring within PARs. Subsequent tests were conducted using the developed simplified model to examine the effect of inlet gas components variation and operating conditions on PAR performance under post-accident conditions. Our findings show that the variation of steam concentration primarily alters the heat absorption capacity of the gas mixture, rather than the catalytic reaction rate. Furthermore, inlet velocity and operating pressure play a role in controlling the inlet mass flow rate, thereby influencing the reaction process of the gas channel by introducing varying amounts of hydrogen.