Effect of buoyancy force on the velocity and temperature distribution in the GCFR radial blanket

The effect of buoyancy forces on the temperature and velocity distributions in the radial blanket of the gas-cooled fast breeder reactor (GCFR) is described. In this analysis, the central portion of the blanket assembly is approximated by a thin rectangular channel, and heat generation is simulated by an equivalent heat source in the fluid; axial and radial heat flux variations are taken into account. The equations of continuity, momentum, and energy are solved by the finite difference method to obtain the stream function and temperature distribution in terms of Reynolds number, Grashof number, and power skew