Optimal Design of Thermal Scheme for Liquid Metal Cooled High Flux Reactor Fuel Assembly

Abstract

This paper studies the structural parameters of fuel assemblies suitable for high neutron flux density environments. Due to the high neutron flux density in the core, high-flux reactors provide an experimental environment for neutron irradiation. However, high neutron flux leads to high heat flux density on the fuel assembly surface, which brings challenges to the design of fuel assembly. Therefore, it is very important to study the structural design of fuel assemblies suitable for high neutron flux density environments. Through theoretical derivation of the thermal model of the fuel assembly and sensitivity analysis of the design parameters of the fuel assembly using a single-channel program, the results show that the liquid metal cooling plate fuel element can be well adapted to the high neutron flux Density environment; at relatively low neutron flux densities, bundle fuel elements can also meet reactor design requirements.