Assessing the Heat Transfer Modeling Capabilities of CFD Software for Involute-Shaped Plate Research Reactors

Cezary Bojanowski; Ronja Schönecker; Katarzyna Borowiec; Kaltrina Shehu; Julius Mercz; Frederic Thomas; Yoann Calzavara; Aurelien Bergeron; Prashant Jain; Christian Reiter; Jeremy Licht

doi:10.3390/en18143692

Assessing the Heat Transfer Modeling Capabilities of CFD Software for Involute-Shaped Plate Research Reactors

Cezary Bojanowski
, Ronja Schönecker
, Katarzyna Borowiec
, Kaltrina Shehu
, Julius Mercz
, Frederic Thomas
, Yoann Calzavara
, Aurelien Bergeron
, Prashant Jain
, Christian Reiter
, Jeremy Licht

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The ongoing efforts to convert High-Performance Research Reactors (HPRRs) using Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) to Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel require reliable thermal–hydraulic assessments of modified core designs. The involute-shaped fuel plates used in several major HPRRs present unique modeling challenges due to their compact core geometries and high heat flux conditions. This study evaluates the capability of three commercial CFD tools, STAR-CCM+, COMSOL, and ANSYS CFX, to predict cladding-to-coolant heat transfer using Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) methods within the thermal–hydraulic regimes of involute-shaped plate reactors. Broad sensitivity analysis was conducted across a range of reactor-relevant parameters using two turbulence models ((Formula presented.) and (Formula presented.) SST) and different near-wall treatment strategies. The results were benchmarked against the Sieder–Tate correlation and experimental data from historic studies. The codes produced consistent results, showing good agreement with the empirical correlation of Sieder–Tate and the experimental measurements. The findings support the use of these commercial CFD codes as effective tools for assessing the thermal–hydraulic performance of involute-shaped plate HPRRs and guide future LEU core development.

Original language	English
Article number	3692
Journal	Energies
Volume	18
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/en18143692
State	Published - Jul 2025

Funding

Argonne National Laboratory work was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Office of Material Management and Minimization in the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation under Contract DE-AC02-06CH11357. Oak Ridge National laboratory work was sponsored by the Office of Material Management and Minimization of the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. This material is based upon work supported by the US Department of Energy, the Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under contract number DE-AC05-00OR2272. Technische Universität München work was supported through a combined grant (FRM2023) from the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) and the Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst (StMWK).

Keywords

CFD
LEU
heat transfer
high-flux research reactor
involute-shaped plate
non-proliferation

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10.3390/en18143692

Cite this

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title = "Assessing the Heat Transfer Modeling Capabilities of CFD Software for Involute-Shaped Plate Research Reactors",

abstract = "The ongoing efforts to convert High-Performance Research Reactors (HPRRs) using Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) to Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel require reliable thermal–hydraulic assessments of modified core designs. The involute-shaped fuel plates used in several major HPRRs present unique modeling challenges due to their compact core geometries and high heat flux conditions. This study evaluates the capability of three commercial CFD tools, STAR-CCM+, COMSOL, and ANSYS CFX, to predict cladding-to-coolant heat transfer using Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) methods within the thermal–hydraulic regimes of involute-shaped plate reactors. Broad sensitivity analysis was conducted across a range of reactor-relevant parameters using two turbulence models ((Formula presented.) and (Formula presented.) SST) and different near-wall treatment strategies. The results were benchmarked against the Sieder–Tate correlation and experimental data from historic studies. The codes produced consistent results, showing good agreement with the empirical correlation of Sieder–Tate and the experimental measurements. The findings support the use of these commercial CFD codes as effective tools for assessing the thermal–hydraulic performance of involute-shaped plate HPRRs and guide future LEU core development.",

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AU - Shehu, Kaltrina

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AU - Calzavara, Yoann

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AB - The ongoing efforts to convert High-Performance Research Reactors (HPRRs) using Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) to Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel require reliable thermal–hydraulic assessments of modified core designs. The involute-shaped fuel plates used in several major HPRRs present unique modeling challenges due to their compact core geometries and high heat flux conditions. This study evaluates the capability of three commercial CFD tools, STAR-CCM+, COMSOL, and ANSYS CFX, to predict cladding-to-coolant heat transfer using Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) methods within the thermal–hydraulic regimes of involute-shaped plate reactors. Broad sensitivity analysis was conducted across a range of reactor-relevant parameters using two turbulence models ((Formula presented.) and (Formula presented.) SST) and different near-wall treatment strategies. The results were benchmarked against the Sieder–Tate correlation and experimental data from historic studies. The codes produced consistent results, showing good agreement with the empirical correlation of Sieder–Tate and the experimental measurements. The findings support the use of these commercial CFD codes as effective tools for assessing the thermal–hydraulic performance of involute-shaped plate HPRRs and guide future LEU core development.

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Assessing the Heat Transfer Modeling Capabilities of CFD Software for Involute-Shaped Plate Research Reactors

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