Coupled Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis and Species Mass Transport in a Versatile Experimental Salt Irradiation Loop (VESIL) Using CTF
With the resurgence of interest in molten salt reactors, there is a need for new experiments and modeling capabilities to characterize the unique phenomena present in this fluid fuel system. A Versatile Experimental Salt Irradiation Loop (VESIL) is currently under investigation at Idaho National Lab...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-08-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Nuclear Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4362/2/3/25 |
| _version_ | 1797518590427004928 |
|---|---|
| author | Samuel A. Walker Abdalla Abou-Jaoude Zack Taylor Robert K. Salko Wei Ji |
| author_facet | Samuel A. Walker Abdalla Abou-Jaoude Zack Taylor Robert K. Salko Wei Ji |
| author_sort | Samuel A. Walker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With the resurgence of interest in molten salt reactors, there is a need for new experiments and modeling capabilities to characterize the unique phenomena present in this fluid fuel system. A Versatile Experimental Salt Irradiation Loop (VESIL) is currently under investigation at Idaho National Laboratory to be placed in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). One of the key phenomena this proposed experiment plans to elucidate is fission product speciation in the fuel-salt and the subsequent effects this has on the fuel-salt properties, source term generation, and corrosion control. Specifically, noble gases (Xe & Kr) will bubble out to a plenum or off-gas system, and noble metals (Mo, Tc, Te, etc.) will precipitate and deposit in specific zones in the loop. This work extends the mass transfer and species interaction models in CTF (Coolant-Boiling in Rod Arrays—Two Fluids) and applies these models to give a preliminary estimation of fission product behavior in the proposed VESIL design. A noble metal–helium bubble mass transfer model is coupled with the thermal-hydraulic results from CTF to determine the effectiveness of this insoluble fission product (IFP) extraction method for VESIL. Amounts of IFP species extracted to the off-gas system and species distributions in VESIL after a 60-day ATR cycle are reported. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:31:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-66fe910520544701910d974bbed112e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-4362 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:31:53Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Nuclear Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-66fe910520544701910d974bbed112e72023-11-22T13:47:15ZengMDPI AGJournal of Nuclear Engineering2673-43622021-08-012330931710.3390/jne2030025Coupled Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis and Species Mass Transport in a Versatile Experimental Salt Irradiation Loop (VESIL) Using CTFSamuel A. Walker0Abdalla Abou-Jaoude1Zack Taylor2Robert K. Salko3Wei Ji4Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St, Troy, NY 12180, USAIdaho National Laboratory, 1955 N Fremont Ave, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USAOak Ridge National Laboratory, 5200, 1 Bethel Valley Rd, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USAOak Ridge National Laboratory, 5200, 1 Bethel Valley Rd, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USADepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St, Troy, NY 12180, USAWith the resurgence of interest in molten salt reactors, there is a need for new experiments and modeling capabilities to characterize the unique phenomena present in this fluid fuel system. A Versatile Experimental Salt Irradiation Loop (VESIL) is currently under investigation at Idaho National Laboratory to be placed in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). One of the key phenomena this proposed experiment plans to elucidate is fission product speciation in the fuel-salt and the subsequent effects this has on the fuel-salt properties, source term generation, and corrosion control. Specifically, noble gases (Xe & Kr) will bubble out to a plenum or off-gas system, and noble metals (Mo, Tc, Te, etc.) will precipitate and deposit in specific zones in the loop. This work extends the mass transfer and species interaction models in CTF (Coolant-Boiling in Rod Arrays—Two Fluids) and applies these models to give a preliminary estimation of fission product behavior in the proposed VESIL design. A noble metal–helium bubble mass transfer model is coupled with the thermal-hydraulic results from CTF to determine the effectiveness of this insoluble fission product (IFP) extraction method for VESIL. Amounts of IFP species extracted to the off-gas system and species distributions in VESIL after a 60-day ATR cycle are reported.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4362/2/3/25species transportmolten salt reactornoble metalnoble gashelium bubblingmass transfer |
| spellingShingle | Samuel A. Walker Abdalla Abou-Jaoude Zack Taylor Robert K. Salko Wei Ji Coupled Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis and Species Mass Transport in a Versatile Experimental Salt Irradiation Loop (VESIL) Using CTF Journal of Nuclear Engineering species transport molten salt reactor noble metal noble gas helium bubbling mass transfer |
| title | Coupled Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis and Species Mass Transport in a Versatile Experimental Salt Irradiation Loop (VESIL) Using CTF |
| title_full | Coupled Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis and Species Mass Transport in a Versatile Experimental Salt Irradiation Loop (VESIL) Using CTF |
| title_fullStr | Coupled Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis and Species Mass Transport in a Versatile Experimental Salt Irradiation Loop (VESIL) Using CTF |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coupled Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis and Species Mass Transport in a Versatile Experimental Salt Irradiation Loop (VESIL) Using CTF |
| title_short | Coupled Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis and Species Mass Transport in a Versatile Experimental Salt Irradiation Loop (VESIL) Using CTF |
| title_sort | coupled thermal hydraulic analysis and species mass transport in a versatile experimental salt irradiation loop vesil using ctf |
| topic | species transport molten salt reactor noble metal noble gas helium bubbling mass transfer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4362/2/3/25 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samuelawalker coupledthermalhydraulicanalysisandspeciesmasstransportinaversatileexperimentalsaltirradiationloopvesilusingctf AT abdallaaboujaoude coupledthermalhydraulicanalysisandspeciesmasstransportinaversatileexperimentalsaltirradiationloopvesilusingctf AT zacktaylor coupledthermalhydraulicanalysisandspeciesmasstransportinaversatileexperimentalsaltirradiationloopvesilusingctf AT robertksalko coupledthermalhydraulicanalysisandspeciesmasstransportinaversatileexperimentalsaltirradiationloopvesilusingctf AT weiji coupledthermalhydraulicanalysisandspeciesmasstransportinaversatileexperimentalsaltirradiationloopvesilusingctf |