Oregon State University Academic Center of Excellence Workshop

Thermal Fluids and Heat Transfer at the INL

Dr. James R. Wolf, ManagerThermal Fluids & Heat Transfer Dept.

September 19, 2005

Outline

• Collaboration between INL and the Thermal Hydraulic Academic Center of Excellence

• Very High Temperature Reactor

• INL Thermal hydraulic Capabilities and Programs

• Summary

DOE’s Nuclear Energy Program

• Increase the Productivity of Currently-Installed US Nuclear Power Plants

• Minimize the Risks and Stimulate New Construction of Generation III Nuclear Power Plants (NP-2010)

• Develop and Demonstrate Next-Generation Advanced Rector Systems (Generation IV, Nuclear Hydrogen)

• Develop and Demonstrate Advanced, Proliferation-Resistant, Fuel Cycle Technology to Support a Future Secretarial Decision on US Long-Term Waste Disposition Policy

• Support a Healthy University and Laboratory Educational and Research Infrastructure to Ensure the Long-Term Supply of Trained Nuclear Professionals and Advanced Technology.

Need for Collaboration

• Limited resources require close collaboration between Universities and the INL– Capital– Intellectual – Personnel

• Existing resources must be leveraged in the most efficient and effective manner possible.– Government– Industry– University

Academic Centers of Excellence

• Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) has chosen to implement DOE’s support through a number of different programs– The Academic Centers of Excellence (ACE). Oregon State

University is the thermal hydraulics ACE– University Nuclear Energy Research Initiatives Programs

(UNERI)– International Nuclear Energy Research Initiatives (INERI)– Nuclear Engineering Education Research Program (NEER)– INL Laboratory Directed Research and Development

Programs (LDRD)• University and INL partnerships are a key part of the Laboratory

and DOE’s future nuclear strategy

University Collaborations• Each organization has its own strengths that must be

emphasized and capitalized on in future collaborations

• Where there is value added, joint INL/University funding proposals to government and private organizations will provide a synergistic benefit to

– Expand current INL programs and scope

• VHTR

• Other Gen IV concepts

• LDRD

– Jointly secure new scope and funding

• Nuclear industry vendors and utilities

• UNERI and NEER proposals

• Other DOE program funding

• Other government agency funding

• INL involvement in University contracts and projects

University Collaborations (cont.)

• Joint university and INL collaboration makes a powerful team for winning competitive solicitations.

Thermal Hydraulic Areas of Emphasis at INL

• Advanced reactor methods development and applications

• Nuclear reactor system safety code development and applications

• Other analytical thermal hydraulic programs

• Experimental studies

VHTR R&D Plan

National Energy Policy divides the VHTR into two phases– Phase 1, now through 2011 when vendor designs

are submitted– Phase 2, 2011 through 2021 covers actual design

and construction of selected concept

• An R&D Program Plan encompassing validation, experiments, and further code development has been developed– R&D Plan looks several years into the future– Budgets fluid– Plan and budgets includes both thermal

hydraulics and neutronic methods development activities

Thermal Hydraulic Aspects of the R&D Plan

• The foundation for a thermal-hydraulic systems analysis capability directed specifically toward the VHTR has been under development for three years at the INEEL.

• This has resulted in the coupled RELAP5-3D/FLUENT code.

• RELAP5-3D provides a system-wide analysis capability and FLUENT provides the CFD capability.

• While the basic physical models in RELAP5-3D have been extensively validated for light water reactors, its applicability to the VHTR design must be demonstrated.

RELAP5-3D Modeling Features• Single or two-phase flow• 1-, 2-, or 3- dimensional flow networks• Reactor kinetics – 1-, 2-, or 3-dimensional nodal kinetics model• Heat Transfer – conduction, convection, radiation• Components – pump, compressor, turbine, valves, phase-

separators, accumulators, jet-mixers, and pressurizers• Process models – critical flow, abrupt area change, form loss,

phase separation at tees• Control systems• Graphical user interface• Multiple fluids• Coupling capability to other codes such as CFD through the

PVM Executive

RELAP5-3D Working Fluids

• Heavy water• Hydrogen• Carbon Dioxide• Helium• Nitrogen• Lithium• Light water• Molten Salt

• HeXe• Sodium• Potassium• Lead-Bismuth• NaK• Lithium-Lead• Ammonia• SCW

Different fluids can exist in thermally-coupled loops

Core

UpperPlenum

LowerPlenum

BalanceOf

Plant

FLUENT model

RELAP5-3Dmodel

RELAP5-3D Coupled to FLUENT For Detailed Analysis of Lower Plenum Flow Patterns

GT MHTGR Fluent Calculation

GEN IV Advanced Reactor Concepts Supported at INL

• Very High Temperature Gas Reactor

• Super Critical Water Reactor

• Molten Salt

• Gas Fast Reactor

• Liquid Metal

Other INL Thermal Hydraulic Analytical Programs

• Basic RELAP5-3D Code Development and Applications

• Development of a Super Critical Carbon Dioxide Bray ton Cycle: Improving PBR Efficiency and Materials testing capability (NERI)

• Development of Safety Analysis Codes and Experimental Validation for a Very High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (K-INERI)

• Advanced Computational Thermal Fluid Physics Assessments (K- INERI)

• RELAP5 Appendix K Development (INER Taiwan)

• Maple Reactor Analysis

• ATR Gas Test Loop

• International RELAP5 Users Group

• LDRD programs with Oregon State University and MIT

Experimental Activities

• Matched Index of Refraction Flow Loop used for VHTR Studies

• May St. Thermal Sciences laboratory

– High temperature oxide fuel cell testing for hydrogen production

– Enhanced heat transfer studies using nano particles

MIR Lower Plenum Test Section

Lower plenum experimental design completed for mixed-index of refraction (MIR) experiment

Plan view

Isometric

Plan view

Isometric

High Temperature Electrolysis

A Six-Cell High Temperature Electrolysis Stack Operated at 850C Under Test for >1100 Hours Produced 32 Normal Liters/Hour at Nearly 45%

Net Efficiency

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100

hours

H2

Pro

du

cti

on

(N

lite

rs/h

r) a

nd

eff

icie

nc

y (

%)

V cell average

H2 (N l/hr)

eff. (eff elec = 45%)

Overnight Loss of Hydrogen/ Steam Feedwhile under load

6 Cells

59.7 cm2 electrode area/ cell10 x 10 cm overall size

Summary

• INL involved in a wide range of thermal hydraulic related programs and activities

• In today’s climate, collaboration between INL universities and industry through organizations such as the Oregon State Academic Center of Excellence is a necessity

• Numerous possibilities for collaboration on INL and university programs