Development and validation of a three-dimensional dynamics code for liquid-fueled molten salt reactors

BackgroundIn molten salt reactors (MSRs), the liquid fuel salt circulates in the whole primary loop. Part of the delayed neutron precursors (DNP) decay outside the reactor core, but most of the reactor fission power releases directly in the fuel salt. Therefore, the neutronics kinetics (NK) and ther...

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Main Authors: ZUO Xiandi, CHENG Maosong, DAI Zhimin
Format: Article
Language:zho
Published: Science Press 2022-03-01
Series:He jishu
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.hjs.sinap.ac.cn/thesisDetails#10.11889/j.0253-3219.2022.hjs.45.030603&lang=zh
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author ZUO Xiandi
CHENG Maosong
DAI Zhimin
author_facet ZUO Xiandi
CHENG Maosong
DAI Zhimin
author_sort ZUO Xiandi
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundIn molten salt reactors (MSRs), the liquid fuel salt circulates in the whole primary loop. Part of the delayed neutron precursors (DNP) decay outside the reactor core, but most of the reactor fission power releases directly in the fuel salt. Therefore, the neutronics kinetics (NK) and thermal-hydraulics (TH) are strongly coupled due to the liquid fuel in MSRs, hence traditional dynamic codes cannot be used for MSRs.PurposeThis study aims to develop and validate a three-dimensional time-spatial dynamic code named ThorCORE3D which can be used to carry out design and transient analysis of MSRs.MethodsNodal expand method was used to solve time-dependent neutron diffusion equations and a thermal-hydraulics solver for circulating liquid fuel with internal heat source was developed in ThorCORE3D. Then the code was validated using both steady state and transient experimental benchmark questions of Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).ResultsThe results show that numerical results from ThorCORE3D are in good agreement with the experiment results and that of other codes. The unique phenomena in MSRs can be well modeled and simulated by the ThorCORE3D.ConclusionsThe ThorCORE3D dynamics code can be used reliably for steady state and transient analyses of liquid fuel MSRs.
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spelling doaj.art-5d2a0acfc61649efa508b4e9159e7e992023-02-08T00:47:18ZzhoScience PressHe jishu0253-32192022-03-0145303060303060310.11889/j.0253-3219.2022.hjs.45.0306030253-3219(2022)03-0087-09Development and validation of a three-dimensional dynamics code for liquid-fueled molten salt reactorsZUO Xiandi0CHENG Maosong1DAI Zhimin2Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, ChinaShanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, ChinaShanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, ChinaBackgroundIn molten salt reactors (MSRs), the liquid fuel salt circulates in the whole primary loop. Part of the delayed neutron precursors (DNP) decay outside the reactor core, but most of the reactor fission power releases directly in the fuel salt. Therefore, the neutronics kinetics (NK) and thermal-hydraulics (TH) are strongly coupled due to the liquid fuel in MSRs, hence traditional dynamic codes cannot be used for MSRs.PurposeThis study aims to develop and validate a three-dimensional time-spatial dynamic code named ThorCORE3D which can be used to carry out design and transient analysis of MSRs.MethodsNodal expand method was used to solve time-dependent neutron diffusion equations and a thermal-hydraulics solver for circulating liquid fuel with internal heat source was developed in ThorCORE3D. Then the code was validated using both steady state and transient experimental benchmark questions of Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).ResultsThe results show that numerical results from ThorCORE3D are in good agreement with the experiment results and that of other codes. The unique phenomena in MSRs can be well modeled and simulated by the ThorCORE3D.ConclusionsThe ThorCORE3D dynamics code can be used reliably for steady state and transient analyses of liquid fuel MSRs.http://www.hjs.sinap.ac.cn/thesisDetails#10.11889/j.0253-3219.2022.hjs.45.030603&lang=zhmolten salt reactorcoupled neutronics and thermal-hydraulicsdelayed neutron precursors
spellingShingle ZUO Xiandi
CHENG Maosong
DAI Zhimin
Development and validation of a three-dimensional dynamics code for liquid-fueled molten salt reactors
He jishu
molten salt reactor
coupled neutronics and thermal-hydraulics
delayed neutron precursors
title Development and validation of a three-dimensional dynamics code for liquid-fueled molten salt reactors
title_full Development and validation of a three-dimensional dynamics code for liquid-fueled molten salt reactors
title_fullStr Development and validation of a three-dimensional dynamics code for liquid-fueled molten salt reactors
title_full_unstemmed Development and validation of a three-dimensional dynamics code for liquid-fueled molten salt reactors
title_short Development and validation of a three-dimensional dynamics code for liquid-fueled molten salt reactors
title_sort development and validation of a three dimensional dynamics code for liquid fueled molten salt reactors
topic molten salt reactor
coupled neutronics and thermal-hydraulics
delayed neutron precursors
url http://www.hjs.sinap.ac.cn/thesisDetails#10.11889/j.0253-3219.2022.hjs.45.030603&lang=zh
work_keys_str_mv AT zuoxiandi developmentandvalidationofathreedimensionaldynamicscodeforliquidfueledmoltensaltreactors
AT chengmaosong developmentandvalidationofathreedimensionaldynamicscodeforliquidfueledmoltensaltreactors
AT daizhimin developmentandvalidationofathreedimensionaldynamicscodeforliquidfueledmoltensaltreactors