Neutronic Benchmarking of Small Fast Gas-Cooled Systems
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Hiscox, Briana↗
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Hot gas path component cooling system
A cooling system for a hot gas path component is disclosed. The cooling system may include a component layer and a cover layer. The component layer may include a first inner surface and a second outer surface. The second outer surface may define a plurality of channels. The component layer may further define a plurality of passages extending generally between the first inner surface and the second outer surface. Each of the plurality of channels may be fluidly connected to at least one of the plurality of passages. The cover layer may be situated adjacent the second outer surface of the component layer. The plurality of passages may be configured to flow a cooling medium to the plurality of channels and provide impingement cooling to the cover layer. The plurality of channels may be configured to flow cooling medium therethrough, cooling the cover layer.
42 ENGINEERING↗
Improved natural convection heat transfer correlations for reactor cavity cooling systems of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors: From computational fluid dynamics to Pronghorn
The Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS) is a common reactor safety system in High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors (HTGR) that removes heat from the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) by radiation ($\sim 80\%$) and natural convection ($\sim 20\%$). For simulation of accident scenarios of HTGRs, intermediate fidelity and system codes models must be employed for limiting the models' execution time. While accurate quantification of the radiative heat transfer is available in these models, quantification of natural convection must rely on correlations of questionable accuracy for the Nusselt number. Commonly used correlations are based in experiments performed at low Rayleigh numbers and/or using isothermal walls in simplified geometries. Here, this work improves on the accuracy of natural convection heat transfer correlations in support for HTGR designs. These correlations include both local and average Nusselt numbers as a function of the global Rayleigh number, the local Rayleigh number, and the temperature profile at the hot wall of the RCCS. In the absence of dedicated experiments and the difficulty of performing high-fidelity simulations at realistic Rayleigh numbers, the data to fit the correlations are generated with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) using Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) models. First, a careful selection of the RANS turbulence model is performed by comparing the results obtained with different RANS turbulence models against high fidelity simulations of natural convection at $Ra \ 1 \times 10^{11}$ in a rectangular cavity. Next, the selected model is used to perform simulations of an HTGR cavity at different high Rayleigh numbers $\in [6.1 \times 10^{11},2.9 \times 10^{13}]$ to encompass several HTGR designs, assuming an isothermal RPV wall. The results obtained are used to fit a correlation for the average and space-varying Nusselt number as a function of the global and local Rayleigh numbers via a sparsity-promoting least-squares method. The selected RANS model is then used to perform simulations of a PBMR 400 HTGR cavity with the temperature profiles at the RPV wall obtained during a PLOFC transient. We use the results obtained to fit a temperature-dependent correction to the space-varying Nusselt number with the sparsity-promoting least-squares method. The results obtained in this work, enable system-level codes, such as Pronghorn, to perform higher-fidelity simulations of the heat exchange process in the RCCS while still maintaining a low computational cost.
42 ENGINEERING↗
Hot gas path component cooling system having a particle collection chamber
A cooling system for a hot gas path component includes a substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface defines at least one interior space. A passage is formed in the substrate between the outer surface and the inner surface. An access passage is formed in the substrate and extends from the outer surface to the inner space. The access passage is formed at a first acute angle to the passage and includes a particle collection chamber. The access passage is configured to channel a cooling fluid to the passage. Furthermore, the passage is configured to channel the cooling fluid therethrough to cool the substrate.
42 ENGINEERING↗
Cooled Gas Turbine and Combined Cycle Analysis for H 2 -CH 4 Fuel Mixes (Up to 100% H 2 )
In this study, a cooled gas turbine analysis was conducted for varying levels of hydrogen (H 2 ) blends with the natural gas. The ultimate goal is to have a gas turbine design that can be used for all the fuel blends (including 100% H 2 ) without any changes to the system. The technological developments in the cooling system, gas turbine design and materials that will be required for H 2 combustion were identified and analyzed in this study to develop an advanced gas turbine design for H 2 fuels. The study includes a combined cycle performance analysis with the H 2 fuel blends using the advanced gas turbine design developed in this study. A techno-economic analysis was conducted for analyzing the impact of the H 2 fuels on the levelized cost of electricity and cost sensitivities to fuel price and capacity factor.
03 NATURAL GAS↗
Cooled Gas Turbine and Combined Cycle Analysis for NH 3 -CH 4 Fuel Mixes (Up to 100% NH 3 )
In this study, a cooled gas turbine (GT) analysis was conducted for varying levels of ammonia (NH 3 ) blends with methane. The ultimate goal is to have a gas turbine design that can be used for all the fuel blends (including 100% NH 3 ) without any changes to the system. The technological developments in the cooling system, gas turbine design, and materials that will be required for NH 3 combustion were identified and analyzed in this study to develop an advanced gas turbine design for NH 3 fuels. The study includes a combined cycle performance analysis with the NH 3 fuel blends using the advanced gas turbine design developed in this study. A techno-economic analysis was conducted for analyzing the impact of the NH 3 fuels on the levelized cost of electricity and cost sensitivities to fuel price and capacity factor.
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
Low pressure cooling seal system for a gas turbine engine
A low pressure cooling system for a turbine engine for directing cooling fluids at low pressure, such as at ambient pressure, through at least one cooling fluid supply channel and into a cooling fluid mixing chamber positioned immediately downstream from a row of turbine blades extending radially outward from a rotor assembly to prevent ingestion of hot gases into internal aspects of the rotor assembly. The low pressure cooling system may also include at least one bleed channel that may extend through the rotor assembly and exhaust cooling fluids into the cooling fluid mixing chamber to seal a gap between rotational turbine blades and a downstream, stationary turbine component. Use of ambient pressure cooling fluids by the low pressure cooling system results in tremendous efficiencies by eliminating the need for pressurized cooling fluids for sealing this gap.
42 ENGINEERING↗
Design of a Novel Variable Geometry Divertor for Tokamaks
The divertor is a key component of fusion reactors, allowing exhaust of gas, impurities, and helium ash to preserve plasma purity. The divertor geometry strongly affects plasma performance, and it is designed to be compatible with different plasma shapes in present-day fusion experiments. Here, we present a novel concept for a variable geometry divertor, in which the divertor baffle tiles are reorientable by external actuation. Implementation of this concept in a medium-sized research tokamak would uniquely provide the flexibility to tailor divertor geometry to the plasma configuration and also enable study of the effect of divertor closure on plasma performance. To ensure compatibility with typical tokamak operations, the adjustable divertor must withstand the effects of significant mechanical and thermal stresses such as MW/m 2 -scale heat fluxes and large electromagnetic fields, e.g., disruption forces. The technological solutions for actuation mechanisms, cooling system, gas baffling and plasma-facing components are assessed. A functional reduced-scale model with movable outer divertor target baffle tiles is developed and the actuation mechanism is tested.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Dissolution of Additively Manufactured Mo Disks and Structures for Accelerator Based Production of Mo-99
The press-and-sinter approach for production of Mo targets has been successfully tested and demonstrated. The main advantage of this process is that it uses readily available technology and tools that have been tuned for production of various metal and metal oxide targets. However, certain target design specifications, such as dimensional accuracy of the diameter and thickness of the disks, are required for proper fit into a target holder and therefore place strict tolerances on sintered Mo disks intended for accelerator production. Furthermore, having a target composed of multiple disks poses certain challenges for post-irradiation processing, where there is a potential for spillage of individual disks during the manipulation for dissolution inside a processing hot cell. Additive manufacturing (AM), also referred to as 3D printing, provides capabilities to design and build a single-piece Mo target that provides the opportunity for better geometry for optimized production of Mo-99, improved cooling capability, and safer post-irradiation handling. A drawback of AM Mo structures is roughness of finished surfaces, which could reduce the effectiveness of gas cooling systems. Process development for AM Mo structures using selective laser melting is described in work by Gibson and Lowden. For post-irradiation processing, it is important to look at the dissolution behavior of AM Mo structures in comparison to readily dissolved press-and-sinter Mo targets. The dissolution behavior of press-and-sinter targets has been well documented in our previous reports. In this report, we discuss results of dissolution experiments conducted with AM Mo disks and structures (provided by Oak Ridge National Laboratory [ORNL]) in 50% hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ).
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
CFD Model Development and validation for High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS) Applications
The Reactor Cavity Cooling Systems (RCCS) is a passive safety system that will be incorporated in the VTHR design. The system was designed to remove the heat from the reactor cavity and maintain the temperature of structures and concrete walls under desired limits during normal operation (steady-state) and accident scenarios. A small scale (1:23) water-cooled experimental facility was scaled, designed, and constructed in order to study the complex thermohydraulic phenomena taking place in the RCCS during steady-state and transient conditions. The facility represents a portion of the reactor vessel with nine stainless steel coolant risers and utilizes water as coolant. The facility was equipped with instrumentation to measure temperatures and flow rates and a general verification was completed during the shakedown. A model of the experimental facility was prepared using RELAP5-3D and simulations were performed to validate the scaling procedure. The experimental data produced during the steady-state run were compared with the simulation results obtained using RELAP5-3D. The overall behavior of the facility met the expectations. The facility capabilities were confirmed to be very promising in performing additional experimental tests, including flow visualization, and produce data for code validation.
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
Mid-section of a can-annular gas turbine engine with a cooling system for the transition
A cooling system is provided for a transition (420) of a gas turbine engine (410). The cooling system includes a cowling (460) configured to receive an air flow (111) from an outlet of a compressor section of the gas turbine engine (410). The cowling (460) is positioned adjacent to a region of the transition (420) to cool the transition region upon circulation of the air flow within the cowling (460). The cooling system further includes a manifold (121) to directly couple the air flow (111) from the compressor section outlet to an inlet (462) of the cowling (460). The cowling (460) is configured to circulate the air flow (111) within an interior space (426) of the cowling (460) that extends radially outward from an inner diameter (423) of the cowling to an outer diameter (424) of the cowling at an outer surface.
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
Cooling system with compressor bleed and ambient air for gas turbine engine
A cooling system for a turbine engine for directing cooling fluids from a compressor to a turbine blade cooling fluid supply and from an ambient air source to the turbine blade cooling fluid supply to supply cooling fluids to one or more airfoils of a rotor assembly is disclosed. The cooling system may include a compressor bleed conduit extending from a compressor to the turbine blade cooling fluid supply that provides cooling fluid to at least one turbine blade. The compressor bleed conduit may include an upstream section and a downstream section whereby the upstream section exhausts compressed bleed air through an outlet into the downstream section through which ambient air passes. The outlet of the upstream section may be generally aligned with a flow of ambient air flowing in the downstream section. As such, the compressed air increases the flow of ambient air to the turbine blade cooling fluid supply.
42 ENGINEERING↗
Cooling system having reduced mass pin fins for components in a gas turbine engine
A cooling system having one or more pin fins with reduced mass for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The cooling system may include one or more first surfaces defining at least a portion of the cooling system. The pin fin may extend from the surface defining the cooling system and may have a noncircular cross-section taken generally parallel to the surface and at least part of an outer surface of the cross-section forms at least a quartercircle. A downstream side of the pin fin may have a cavity to reduce mass, thereby creating a more efficient turbine airfoil.
42 ENGINEERING↗
Techno-economic feasibility of geothermal energy production using inactive oil and gas wells for district heating and cooling systems in Tuttle, Oklahoma
Oil and gas wells have been drilled in the United States and often encounter hot co-produced water possibly suitable for geothermal direct-use applications. Here this study evaluated geothermal resources, heating and cooling demand, and techno-economic potential of four oil and gas wells repurposed for geothermal energy production to serve two public schools and 250 nearby houses in Tuttle, Oklahoma, USA. Subsurface geology in the study area primarily consists of Permian to Mississippian sandstone and limestone formations approximately from 2 km to 3.5 km depth. With a geothermal gradient of 25.3 °C/km, the temperature of geothermal energy production was estimated as 68.2 °C at 2.1 km. The potential of calcite scaling within boreholes and pipes was minimal. Using the characterized reservoir properties, techno-economic analyses were conducted for evaluating levelized costs of geothermal energy production for direct-use heating and cooling and district heating systems with five different production scenarios. Heating and cooling demand in two schools and 250 houses and additional 0.3 MW and 0.6 MW base heating loads for potential geothermal direct-use applications in the study area were also incorporated in the modeling. Results indicated that the levelized cost of heating of geothermal district heating systems utilizing existing wells were significantly lower than those of conventional geothermal energy systems that include well drillings. The geothermal energy production with doublet and quartet configurations was generally sufficient to supply total annual heating demand in the district, while a peaking boiler was used to supply peak loads. Doublet configurations showed higher production temperature with a lower thermal drawdown than the quartet configurations. The doublet system at 2.1 km production depth with 9.3 kg/s flow rate represented the optimal levelized cost of $71/MWh and 91.2% utilization factor. These results imply that the Tuttle geothermal district heating system is techno-economically feasible and comparable to geothermal district heating systems in the United States and the regional natural gas rate for residentials by recycling inactive oil and gas wells with no drillings.
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
High Fidelity Simulations of Air-Cooled Reactor Cavity Cooling System
High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) designs incorporate passive safety systems (e.g., the Reactor Cavity Cooling System [RCCS]) that utilize natural principles to manage heat dissipation from the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) during accidents or routine shutdowns. The industry community is experiencing a pressing need for advanced simulation tools that can accurately assess the performance of these types of systems. In the literature, a knowledge gap exists concerning high-fidelity data for the RCCS, and this gap is one of the areas of focus of the present study. This research focuses on a specific RCCS designed for General Atomics' Modular High-Temperature Gas Reactor (GA-MHTGR). Experimental studies on a scaled version (can be seen in Figure 1) of the air-cooled RCCS used in GA-MHTGR were conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison). This work contributes to a broader initiative aimed at establishing a numerical benchmark based on the UW-Madison experiments.
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
HTTR-GT/H2 test plant - design study on helium gas turbine for the heat utilization system connected to JAEA's HTTR - 18674
In JAEA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency), the program of verification of combined system with helium gas turbine power generation and hydrogen production using nuclear heat which becomes the first in the world, is proceeding. From 2014 to 2015 Japanese Fiscal Year, the design study of the heat utilization system which is arranged in cascade to the heat supply system to supply the hydrogen production system and helium gas turbine system which are installed in the secondary helium-cooling system of High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) was performed and measure technologies of the system have been verified. MHI participated in the design study work of main equipment of this system. This paper reports the result of the design study of a helium gas turbine among those results. Self-sustaining condition (a power generation output is attained) is required for the gas turbine system in three modes of operation such as a) gas turbine individual operation, b) gas turbine + hydrogen production system combined operation, and c) hydrogen production system load loss and gas turbine independent shift operation]. By adopting a multi-stage centrifugal type impeller as a gas turbine and a compressor as a result of design study, it confirmed that all the mode-of-operation self-sustaining can be attained, and can attain a maximum of approx. 1 MWe power generation output on condition of the turbine inlet temperature of 560 deg. C, the turbine flow of 9.8 kg/sec, the compressor inlet temperature of 30 deg. C, and the compression ratio 1.3. (authors)
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
Multi-physics Modeling of Radiative Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow for the Reactor Cavity Cooling System
High-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) are notable for their high thermal efficiency and potential for combined heat and power applications. These reactors are particularly appealing due to their advanced passive safety features. HTGRs utilize passive safety systems that function without requiring active components like pumps or compressors during emergencies. These reactor designs depend on a Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS) to manage decay heat removal from the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) during accident conditions. The RCCS consists of vertical rectangular channels known as "risers" or riser ducts positioned around the RPV. These risers receive heat from the RPV through both convective and radiative heat transfer mechanisms. Understanding the interplay of multiple physical phenomena, such as fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and neutron interactions, is essential for the effective design and operation of nuclear reactors, particularly for systems like the RCCS. Multi-physics simulations provide a comprehensive approach to studying these interactions, offering detailed insights and enhancing accuracy. They are especially important in RCCS designs, where the interaction between radiative and convective heat transfer can significantly impact system performance. By leveraging multi-physics simulations, complex reactor behaviors can be modeled without compromising the fidelity of the underlying physical processes. This work aims to establish a robust methodology for coupling multiple physical processes in an air-cooled RCCS. By focusing on validating this multi-physics approach, the study involves designing test cases that simulate various conditions to verify the numerical models employed. The outcomes of this research will provide critical insights for accurately modeling and optimizing complex nuclear systems like the RCCS.
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗