Selection of RANS turbulence model for calculating thermal hydraulics of fuel assemblies of LMC reactors at low Reynolds numbers Full article
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Nuclear Engineering and Design
ISSN: 0029-5493 |
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| Output data | Year: 2026, Volume: 450, Article number : 114741, Pages count : 10 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.114741 | ||||
| Tags | DNS, RANS, CFD, Turbulent flow Simulation | ||||
| Authors |
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| Affiliations |
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Funding (1)
| 1 | Министерство науки и высшего образования РФ | 075-15-2025-348 |
Abstract:
Liquid metal coolants are considered in various fast neutron reactors. This paper presents the results of DNS calculations of heat and mass transfer processes of liquid metal coolants in the following regions: a parallel-plate channel, a rod bundle at cross-flow, and a channel with a step. The regions are selected in such a way as to describe as comprehensively as possible the thermal hydraulics of the fuel assembly, in which the spacing of the rods is carried out by the spacer grids. Two Reynolds numbers (Re = 2500 and 5000) and three Prandtl numbers (Pr = 0.0043, 0.0154 and 0.0324) are considered. The Prandtl numbers considered correspond to the liquid metal coolants used in fast neutron reactors: sodium, lead and lead bismuth, respectively. ε realizable two layer, kThe results of DNS simulations were compared with the data obtained using various RANS turbulence models (kω SST, kε EB and kε V2F). It is shown that the kε V2F turbulence model describes the thermal-hydraulic processes in the best way. It recommends use this model for thermal-hydraulic calculations of fuel assemblies in reactor plants with liquid metal coolants at low Reynolds numbers. It is shown that for all considered RANS turbulence models, the error in determining the heat transfer increases with increasing Peclet number in the parallel-plate channel. This is due to the features of the mechanisms of turbulent heat transfer for coolants at low Prandtl number. + The temperature profile is also compared with theoretical data. Satisfactory agreement is shown for all simulations in the area up to y ≈60. This can be used in experimental studies focused on determining the Nusselt number.
Cite:
Sergeenko K.
, Krutikov A.
, Golibrodo L.
, Zefirova A.
, Shishlenin M.
Selection of RANS turbulence model for calculating thermal hydraulics of fuel assemblies of LMC reactors at low Reynolds numbers
Nuclear Engineering and Design. 2026. V.450. 114741 :1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.114741 WOS Scopus OpenAlex
Selection of RANS turbulence model for calculating thermal hydraulics of fuel assemblies of LMC reactors at low Reynolds numbers
Nuclear Engineering and Design. 2026. V.450. 114741 :1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.114741 WOS Scopus OpenAlex
Dates:
| Submitted: | Aug 16, 2025 |
| Accepted: | Sep 28, 2025 |
| Published online: | Feb 3, 2026 |
Identifiers:
| ≡ Web of science: | WOS:001683937600001 |
| ≡ Scopus: | 2-s2.0-105029191684 |
| ≡ OpenAlex: | W7127411838 |