Computational fluid dynamics analysis of aerosol deposition in pebble beds

The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor is a high temperature gas cooled reactor which uses helium gas as a coolant. The reactor uses spherical graphite pebbles as fuel. The fuel design is inherently resistant to the release of the radioactive material up to high temperatures; therefore, the plant can withstand a broad spectrum of accidents with limited release of radionuclides to the environment.; Despite safety features of the concepts, these reactors still contain large inventories of radioactive materials. The transport of most of the radioactive materials in an accident occurs in the form of aerosol particles.; In this dissertation, the limits of applicability of existing computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT to the prediction of aerosol transport have been explored. The code was run using the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes turbulence models to determine the effects of different turbulence models on the prediction of aerosol particle deposition. Analyses were performed for up to three unit cells in the orthorhombic configuration.; For low flow conditions representing natural circulation driven flow, the laminar flow model was used and the results were compared with existing experimental data for packed beds. The results compares well with experimental data in the low flow regime. For conditions corresponding to normal operating of the reactor, analyses were performed using the standard k-&egr; turbulence model. From the inertial deposition results, a correlation that can be used to estimate the deposition of aerosol particles within pebble beds given inlet flow conditions has been developed. These results were converted into a dimensionless form as a function of a modified Stokes number. Based on results obtained in the laminar regime and for individual pebbles, the correlation developed for the inertial impaction component of deposition is believed to be credible. The form of the correlation developed also allows these results to be applied to pebble beds of different porosities.; The effect of turbulence on the deposition of aerosols was analyzed using the discrete random walk model. The results obtained with k-&egr; turbulence model show high deposition of aerosols at low particle diameters. To validate the results in this regime, detailed experimental work is needed.