Resumen

ROJAS-VALDEZ, David  y  LOPEZ-REBOLLAR, Boris Miguel. Analysis by computational fluid dynamics of the heat conduction of a fuel element of the TRIGA MARK III nuclear reactor. Ing. invest. y tecnol. [online]. 2021, vol.22, n.4, e1825.  Epub 31-Ene-2022. ISSN 2594-0732.  https://doi.org/10.22201/fi.25940732e.2021.22.4.028.

The heat conduction of a fuel element of the TRIGA MARK III nuclear reactor was simulated using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The objective was to obtain the profiles of temperature and heat conduction that are generated in a nuclear fuel element under different levels of thermal power of operation of the reactor (0.5, 0.8 and 1 MW). Currently, no investigations have been developed that address the simulation of the heat conduction process in a fuel element of TRIGA reactors by means of CFD, for this reason, the methodology established a validation of the results obtained by means of CFD, comparing them with the data reported in the safety report of the reactor simulated with RELAP5 (Reactor Excursion Leak Analysis Program 5) (ININ, 2008), with the analysis a variation of 3.36 % in the radial temperature profile was obtained. The results of this work show the thermal behavior in the radial profile of the fuel element which varies according to the thermal power of operation of the reactor, this also influences the axial distribution of heat in the fuel element. It was concluded that the simulations carried out using CFD agree with the values ​​obtained using specialized computational tools in nuclear systems, however, CFD has the goodness of specifically showing the temperature changes in the geometry of the fuel element. It is important to mention that CFD presents a simpler handling within its graphical interface, which provides greater simplicity when simulating a phenomenon. Finally, through CFD analysis it is possible to interact with other structural or fluid analyzes thanks to the multiphysical link between phenomena. For this reason, the results obtained in this work will provide the basis for further analysis of the devices and processes that make up and interact with the reactor.

Palabras llave : CFD; TRIGA MARK III; fuel element; heat; simulation; reactor.

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