Thermalhydraulic Analyses of AECL's Spent Fuel Dry Storage Systems

Abstract

This paper presents the validation of one- and three-dimensional thermalhydraulic models to be used to evaluate the thermal performance of AECL's MACSTOR 1 and CANSTOR2 spent fuel dry storage modules. For this purpose, we compared analytical results to results of experiments conducted at AECL's Whiteshell Laboratories where mock-ups rf the MACSTOR module and of a CANDU fuel storage basket were tested. The paper shows improvements to a simple one-dimensional model of the MACSTOR mock-up used previously. The replacement of constant heat transfer coefficients by free convection correlations, the addition of a storage cylinder model. and the addition of a radiation heat transfer model improved the predictions of concrete and storage cylinder temperatures. The paper also presents a new three-dimensional model for flow and heat transfer in the MACSTOR mock-up developed using CFDS-FLOW3D and -RAD3D computer programs. CFDS-FLOW3D code can estimate loss coefficients in complex geometry to an accuracy better than standard engineering correlations. The flow and temperature fields predicted using CFDS-FLOWJD are consistent with the measurements made during MACSTOR mock-up experiments.