Advanced CFD Simulations of Turbulent Flows Around Appendages in CANDU® Fuel Bundles

Abstract

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to simulate the coolant flow in a modified 37-element CANDU® fuel bundle, in order to investigate the effects of the appendages on the flow field. First, a subchannel model was created to qualitatively analyze the capabilities of different turbulence models such as k.ε, Reynolds Normalization Group (RNG), Shear Stress Transport (SST) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES). Then, the turbulence model with the acceptable quality was used to investigate the effects of positioning appendages, normally used in CANDU® 37-element Critical Heat Flux (CHF) experiments, on the flow field.

It was concluded that the RNG and SST models both show improvements over the k.ε method by predicting cross flow rates closer to those predicted by the LES model. Also the turbulence effects in the k.ε model dissipate quickly downstream of the appendages, while in the RNG and SST models appear at longer distances similar to the LES model. The RNG method simulation time was relatively feasible and as a result was chosen for the bundle model simulations. In the bundle model simulations it was shown that the tunnel spacers and leaf springs, used to position the bundles inside the pressure tubes in the experiments, have no measureable dominant effects on the flow field. The flow disturbances are localized and disappear at relatively short streamwise distances.