Axial dispersion and mixing phenomena of the gas phase in a packed pebble-bed reactor

Highlights: • An advanced gaseous tracer technique has been developed and utilized in this work. • An axial dispersion model has been developed and used for the packed-pebble bed. • A methodology that properly counts for the external dispersion has been applied. • The axial dispersion coefficient depends on both gas flow rate and pebble size. • This work advancing the knowledge of mixing phenomenon in the packed-pebble bed. - Abstract: The knowledge and proper analyses of axial dispersion and the mixing phenomena of the coolant gas flow in the dynamic core of pebble-bed nuclear reactors are useful for safe design and efficient operation of these reactors. These processes can be characterized in terms of the residence time distribution and quantified in terms of the axial dispersion coefficient. Therefore, in this work, the axial dispersion coefficients of the gas phase and their residence time distributions were measured experimentally in a separate effect pilot-plant scale and cold-flow experimental setup of 0.3 m in diameter, using a sophisticated and advanced gaseous tracer technique. The non-ideal flow of the gas phase in the pebble bed was described using the axial dispersion model (ADM). The effect of the gas velocity on the axial dispersion was investigated using a range of velocities from 0.01 to 2 m/s, covering both the laminar and turbulent flow regimes. The effect of the bed structure (pebble size) on the axial dispersion coefficient was investigated, and the results indicate that the pebble size strongly affects axial dispersion and mixing in the packed pebble-bed reactor. The results show that the flow pattern of the gas phase does not deviate much from the idealized plug-flow condition at high flow rate, which depends on the gas flow rate and the bed structure of the pebble-bed. The present work provides insight on the extent of mixing and dispersion in the gas phase in the studied bed using an advanced gas dynamics technique and methodology that properly accounts for the external dispersion.