Numerical Heat Transfer Analysis in Vertical Rectangular Channels in the Core of a Typical Nuclear Research Reactor

Numerical Heat Transfer Analysis in Vertical Rectangular Channels in the Core of a Typical Nuclear Research Reactor

The heat transfer characteristics for the case of turbulent forced and mixed convection flow of water through narrow vertical rectangular heated channel simulating a cooling channel of a typical material testing reactor (MTR) have been analysed and numerically investigated. Numerical solutions are performed on demineralized water as coolant passing under atmospheric pressure through narrow rectangular channel of 80 cm length, 7 cm width, and 2.7 mm gap thickness under different heat fluxes that covers almost all possible heat fluxes in the single-phase liquid. Qualitative results are presented for the normalized temperature and velocity profiles in the transverse direction with a comparison between the forced and mixed convection flow for the cases of upward directions. The effect of the axial locations and the parameter Gr/Re on the variation of the normalized temperature profiles in the transverse direction for both the regions of forced and mixed convection and for the upward and downward flow directions are obtained. The normalized velocity profiles in the transverse directions are also determined at different inlet velocities and heat fluxes for the previous cases. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study will bring much understanding of the phenomena for the different situations.