Simulation of natural circulation in a rectangular loop using CFD code PHOENICS

Abstract

Abstract Single phase natural circulation in a rectangular loop is simulated using the PHOENICS code, a general purpose Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code. The rectangular loop, having different operating power levels, has been modeled with the help of the Multiple Block Fine Grid Embedment (MBFGE) technique. The Co-located Co-variant Method (CCM) is used to simulate this loop in PHOENICS. Extensive experimental and CFD studies have been conducted on single phase natural circulation in a rectangular loop. The paper presents the results of three-dimensional CFD analysis for the prediction of steady state behavior in a rectangular loop and its comparison with experimental data. The results of code prediction and readily available experimental data show good agreement.