Methods for modeling the packing of fuel elements in pebble bed reactors

Two methods for the modeling of the packing of pebbles in the pebble bed reactors are presented and compared. The first method is based on random generation of potential centers for the pebbles, followed by rejection of points that are not compatible with the geometric constraint of no (or limited) pebbles overlap. The second method models the actual physical packing process, accounting for the dynamic of pebbles as they are dropped onto the pebble bed and as they settle therein. A simplification in the latter model is the assumption of a starting point with very dilute packing followed by settling. The results from the two models are compared and the properties of the second model and the dependence of its results on many of the modeling parameters are presented. (authors)