COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS MODELING APPROACH TO EVALUATE VSC – 17 DRY STORAGE CASK THERMAL
A numerical simulation of flow and heat transfer in a ventilated concrete dry storage cask system–17 (VSC–17) is performed and results compared with experimental data to assess the validity of the computational approach. The measurements of steady state temperature distributions on the cask surface, concrete surface, air flow channels, and fuel canister guide are available. Numerical simulations were carried out for normal operating conditions, where both the inlet and outlet vents are open, and for off-normal condition when normal air circulation is interrupted because of blocked vents. Results include the flow and temperature pattern in the ventilated storage system. Computed results were compared with experimental data for axial temperature distribution along the fuel assembly and radial temperature distribution along the storage assembly system. The effect of the turbulence model on temperature distribution pattern was also studied. For all the simulated cases, the computed results showed a trend similar to the experimental observation but did not model exactly. Computed peak cladding temperature in all the simulation cases was slightly higher than the experimental data. Heat transfer results showed some variation due to difference in backfill gas. A study of different k-ε and k-ω turbulence models showed very little effect on temperature distribution.
Heat removal verification tests using concrete casks under normal condition
Abstract Heat removal tests using two types of full-scale concrete casks were conducted. This paper describes the results under a normal condition of spent fuel storage. In the tests, data on heat removal performance and integrity of cask components were obtained for different storage periods. The change of decay heat of spent fuel was simulated using electric heaters. Reinforced concrete cask (RC cask) and concrete filled steel cask (CFS cask) were the specimen casks. Decay heat at the initial period of storage 60 years of storage, the middle period (20 years of storage), and the final period (40 years of storage) correspond to 22.6 kW, 16 kW and 10 kW, respectively. Quantitative temperature data of the cask components were obtained as compared with their limit temperature. In addition, heat balance data requested for heat removal analyses were obtained.
Conduction Shape Factor Models for Hollow Cylinders with Nonuniform Gap Spacing
An analytical model is developed for the conduction shape factor for the two-dimensional annular region formed between concentricisothermal cylinders, where the inner and outer boundarieshavesimilar or different shapes. The model is based on the equivalent circular annulus with a modified independent parameter to accountforlocal variationsin the gap thickness. Validation of the model is performedusing existingnumerical data and analytical expressions from the literature for a variety of different geometries, including polygonal and rectangular cylinders with a circular hole and the circular cylinder with a polygonal hole. The average RMS difference between the available data and the model of all casesis less than 5 %. Nomenclature