Numerical simulation of the thermodynamics of a fast neutron reactor

Abstract

The article deals with one reactors design, which, under the International Forum, are attributed to the 4th generation of the GIF-IV (Generation IV International Forum) of fast neutron reactors with a helium coolant and a closed fuel cycle (GFR). Although the use of helium as a coolant in reactors of this type and has great advantages in comparison with other coolants, for example, CO2 gas, however, due to the great difficulties encountered in the implementation of such a project, only prototypes of similar reactors are currently implemented. Due to the complexity of gas flow in the collectors and backfill, the averaged flow of the coolant is considered throughout the proposed mathematical model. It is assumed that the averaged flow is symmetric everywhere relative to the common axis of the cylinders forming the annular domain, and, consequently, is axisymmetric, that is, two-dimensional. One such annular cylindrical cavity will be called a fuel element. The mathematical model of a cassette of several such fuel elements connected by common distributed and gathering collectors is considered in the article. The algorithm for solving the arising non-stationary initial-boundary value problem is proposed in the article, as well as the results of some computational experiments that are obtained using the PC program, compiled and debugged by the author of the article. The experiments were carried out both for one fuel element, and for cassettes of 2, 3 and 4 fuel elements. The algorithm for solving the arising non-stationary initial-boundary value problem is proposed in the article, as well as the results of some computational experiments that are obtained using the PC program, compiled and debugged by the author of the article.