Thermal Analysis of the VVER-1000 Reactor with Thorium Fuel and Coolant Containing Al2O3, CuO and TiO2 Nanoparticles


Acır A., Uzun S., Genç Y., Asal Ş.

Heat Transfer Research, cilt.52, sa.4, ss.79-93, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 52 Sayı: 4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2021
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1615/heattransres.2021037215
  • Dergi Adı: Heat Transfer Research
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Aerospace Database, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, INSPEC, Metadex, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.79-93
  • Erzincan Binali Yıldırım Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The use of nanofl uids has recently gained importance in studies carried out on increasing reactor effi ciency with att ention

paid on safety factors in nuclear technology. Nanofl uids used in reactor cooling water at certain properties and ratios

generally use enriched UO2 as fuel. Through the discovery of thorium reserves and its use in nuclear technology, thorium

has also become a candidate for being used as a fuel material in reactors. In this study, using ThO2 fuel and Al2O3,

CuO, and TiO2 nanoparticles of the coolant in diff erent ratios, the neutronic and thermal properties of the reactor, especially

the criticality and temperature of coolant and DNBR as three leading parameters, were investigated. For the analyses,

5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% ThO2 was added to the reactor core containing 3.7% enriched UO2 fuel, and the analyses

were performed adding 0.01%, 0.05%, and 0.1% volume of nanoparticles to the coolant water. Neutronic calculations

were carried out with the help of MCNP code and COBRA-IV PC code was used for thermal analysis. The obtained results

showed that by adding nanoparticles to coolant and using thorium as an additive to fuel the rise of coolant temperature can

be augmented by 4.67 K compared to traditional combination of UO2 fuel and water while reactor remained within safety

limits.