Pressure Measurements in a Wire-Wrapped 61-Pin Hexagonal Fuel Bundle
Academic Article
Overview
Research
Identity
Additional Document Info
View All
Overview
abstract
The sodium fast reactor is a type of liquid metal fast breeder nuclear reactor. Fast reactors offer a number of benefits over conventional thermal reactors such as, a more abundant source of fuel, and are inherent increases in safety. Fast reactor technology was actively pursued in the 60s and 70s but interest in the nuclear industry slowed shortly thereafter as did interest in fast reactor technology. The increase in demand for cleaner safer energy has resulted in an increase in research into liquid metal fast reactors. In the interest of safety and improved efficiency, significant research efforts, both in the past and the present, have investigated coolant flow properties in LWR fuel bundles. These bundles pack the fuel pins in a square array and utilize spacer grids at various points along the bundles length. Contrast to SFR fuel bundles that arrange the fuel pins in a triangular array that are spaced evenly with a wire spacer that is wrapped helically around the fuel rod. There exists extensive literature and experimental data which characterize the flow in this complex geometrical configuration, but not all combinations of parameters have been investigated, and more modern instrumentation could lead to more accurate data. This work has produced pressure measurements at two axial locations for a wide range of Reynolds number. High accuracy instrumentation was used and the uncertainty in the measurements has been quantified. Azimuthal differential measurements have also been produced at two axial locations.
