Ex-Core CFD Analysis Results for the Prometheus Gas Reactor

This paper presents the initial nozzle-to-nozzle (N2N) reactor vessel model scoping studies using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis methods. The N2N model has been solved under a variety of different boundary conditions. This paper presents some of the basic hydraulic results from the N2N CFD analysis effort. It also demonstrates how designers were going to apply the analysis results to modify a number of the design features. The initial goals for developing a preliminary CFD N2N model were to establish baseline expectations for pressure drops and flow fields around the reactor core. Analysis results indicated that the averaged reactor vessel pressure drop for all analyzed cases was 46.9 kPa (∼6.8 psid). In addition, mass flow distributions to the three core fuel channel regions exhibited a nearly inverted profile to those specified for the in-core thermal/hydraulic design. During subsequent design iterations, the goal would have been to modify or add design features that would have minimized reactor vessel pressure drop and improved flow distribution to the inlet of the core