Description
The development of Generation IV reactors to replace coal-fired power plants has recently gained global attention. The Sustainable Nuclear Energy (SNE) research team is currently designing a 300 MWth Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) for repowering coal power plants. As a Generation IV reactor, the MSR uses liquid fuel consisting of fluoride or chloride salt mixtures, allowing high-temperature operation at low pressure [1]. For safety, matching power and fuel flow distributions is crucial to avoid temperature hotspots. [2]. Assuming a uniform power distribution, the fluid flow must also be uniform.
Several previous studies [2], [3], and [4] have calculated the flow rate ratio of each channel relative to the average flow rate. Therefore, this study discusses how an alternative MSR–Repowering design with improved matching between fluid flow and power distribution in the core can be proposed.
Using Ansys Fluent 2024 R2 and OpenFOAM, this study successfully reduced flow deviation. The initial case showed Sreaktor and Sring values of 59.43% and 5.0%, respectively. To lower these values, modifications were introduced sequentially. The upper plenum adjustment reduced the deviation to 53.18% and 4.4% for Sreaktor and Sring, respectively. This was followed by an alternative lower plenum geometry, reducing the values further to 50.39% and 4.89%. The final configuration, with the addition of a shroud, achieved the most significant improvement, yielding Sreaktor and Sring values of 31.63% and 4.9%, respectively. Verification using OpenFOAM showed insignificant errors compared to Ansys Fluent, with deviations of less than 5%.
| Technical Track | Student Competition |
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