Thermohydraulic performance of water mixed Al2O3,TiO2 and graphene-oxide nanoparticles for nuclear fuel triangular subchannel

Abstract

The study compares the thermohydraulic performance of Al2O3-water, TiO2-water and Graphene-Oxide–water as a coolant which should be used in the triangular subchannel of a nuclear fuel assembly. Critical assessment of both the local and global parameters were evaluated for 1%, 2% and 4% volume fraction of each nanolfluids. The mixture of the nanofluids were considered to be homogeneous. Furthermore, the research looked into the impact of various particle sizes on heat transfer and pressure drop. The simulations proceeded assuming single phase approach, under turbulent flow conditions. The numerical findings were compared to traditional correlations for inlet Reynolds numbers ranging from 20,000 to 80,000, revealing a perfect match.The results shows that increase in nanoparticle inclusion lead to enhancing the heat transfer. The increased thermal flow lowers the surface temperature of the clad fuel, raising the thermal safety margin in the reactor fuel-clad. Furthermore, as the volume fraction rose, the pressure drop increased dramatically. Considering both the increase in heat transfer and pressure drop, the report of thermal performance shows that among all the coolants 4% volume fraction of Al2O3-water acts as a potential candidate in the triangular array of a Hexagonal Rod Bundle.