High-Fidelity CFD Modeling of Cryogenic Hydrogen Isotope Extrusion for Fusion Reactor Pellet Fueling

Yuqiao Fan; Larry R. Baylor; Steven J. Meitner

doi:10.1080/15361055.2025.2540219

High-Fidelity CFD Modeling of Cryogenic Hydrogen Isotope Extrusion for Fusion Reactor Pellet Fueling

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

Abstract

This study investigates the extrusion processes of deuterium and protium using ANSYS-Polyflow. The geometries and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) settings closely replicate the experimental setups and data acquired from the extruder experiments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for validation purposes. We explore the impacts of (1) slip versus non-slip boundary conditions and (2) the use of constant, temperature-, and shear rate–dependent viscosities, concluding that the implementation of non-slip wall boundary conditions combined with shear rate–dependent viscosity produced more accurate predictions. The simulations achieved excellent agreement with the experimental data, with relative differences of only 5% for deuterium, and 3% to 6% for protium. This is the first time that experimental extrusion data at ORNL have been accurately predicted through high-fidelity CFD modeling. The advancements offer valuable insights and a foundational modeling tool for optimizing pellet injectors for ITER and other future reactor-scale devices.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	449-460
Number of pages	12
Journal	Fusion Science and Technology
Volume	82
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2025.2540219
State	Published - 2026

Funding

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. This work was supported by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for the US Department of Energy under DE-AC05-00OR22725. The U.S. government retains and the publisher, by accepting this paper for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this paper, or allow others to do so, for U.S. government purposes. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (https://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan). This work was supported by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for the US Department of Energy under DE-AC05-00OR22725. The U.S. government retains and the publisher, by accepting this paper for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this paper, or allow others to do so, for U.S. government purposes. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( https://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ).

Keywords

ANSYS-Polyflow
Pellet fueling
computational fluid dynamics
cryogenic extrusion
non-Newtonian flow

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10.1080/15361055.2025.2540219

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title = "High-Fidelity CFD Modeling of Cryogenic Hydrogen Isotope Extrusion for Fusion Reactor Pellet Fueling",

abstract = "This study investigates the extrusion processes of deuterium and protium using ANSYS-Polyflow. The geometries and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) settings closely replicate the experimental setups and data acquired from the extruder experiments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for validation purposes. We explore the impacts of (1) slip versus non-slip boundary conditions and (2) the use of constant, temperature-, and shear rate–dependent viscosities, concluding that the implementation of non-slip wall boundary conditions combined with shear rate–dependent viscosity produced more accurate predictions. The simulations achieved excellent agreement with the experimental data, with relative differences of only 5\% for deuterium, and 3\% to 6\% for protium. This is the first time that experimental extrusion data at ORNL have been accurately predicted through high-fidelity CFD modeling. The advancements offer valuable insights and a foundational modeling tool for optimizing pellet injectors for ITER and other future reactor-scale devices.",

keywords = "ANSYS-Polyflow, Pellet fueling, computational fluid dynamics, cryogenic extrusion, non-Newtonian flow",

author = "Yuqiao Fan and Baylor, \{Larry R.\} and Meitner, \{Steven J.\}",

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year = "2026",

doi = "10.1080/15361055.2025.2540219",

language = "English",

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T1 - High-Fidelity CFD Modeling of Cryogenic Hydrogen Isotope Extrusion for Fusion Reactor Pellet Fueling

AU - Fan, Yuqiao

AU - Baylor, Larry R.

AU - Meitner, Steven J.

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - This study investigates the extrusion processes of deuterium and protium using ANSYS-Polyflow. The geometries and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) settings closely replicate the experimental setups and data acquired from the extruder experiments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for validation purposes. We explore the impacts of (1) slip versus non-slip boundary conditions and (2) the use of constant, temperature-, and shear rate–dependent viscosities, concluding that the implementation of non-slip wall boundary conditions combined with shear rate–dependent viscosity produced more accurate predictions. The simulations achieved excellent agreement with the experimental data, with relative differences of only 5% for deuterium, and 3% to 6% for protium. This is the first time that experimental extrusion data at ORNL have been accurately predicted through high-fidelity CFD modeling. The advancements offer valuable insights and a foundational modeling tool for optimizing pellet injectors for ITER and other future reactor-scale devices.

AB - This study investigates the extrusion processes of deuterium and protium using ANSYS-Polyflow. The geometries and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) settings closely replicate the experimental setups and data acquired from the extruder experiments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for validation purposes. We explore the impacts of (1) slip versus non-slip boundary conditions and (2) the use of constant, temperature-, and shear rate–dependent viscosities, concluding that the implementation of non-slip wall boundary conditions combined with shear rate–dependent viscosity produced more accurate predictions. The simulations achieved excellent agreement with the experimental data, with relative differences of only 5% for deuterium, and 3% to 6% for protium. This is the first time that experimental extrusion data at ORNL have been accurately predicted through high-fidelity CFD modeling. The advancements offer valuable insights and a foundational modeling tool for optimizing pellet injectors for ITER and other future reactor-scale devices.

KW - ANSYS-Polyflow

KW - Pellet fueling

KW - computational fluid dynamics

KW - cryogenic extrusion

KW - non-Newtonian flow

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105017400643

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DO - 10.1080/15361055.2025.2540219

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SN - 1536-1055

VL - 82

SP - 449

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JO - Fusion Science and Technology

JF - Fusion Science and Technology

IS - 1-2

ER -

High-Fidelity CFD Modeling of Cryogenic Hydrogen Isotope Extrusion for Fusion Reactor Pellet Fueling

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