Master’s of Engineering ProjectFall 2010

Viram Pandya

One proposal for Generation IV reactors is the High Temperature Helium Cooled Reactor

Nuclear core and power production separated into two different pressure vessels (General Atomics design)

Connected by a coaxial tube called the hot gas duct (HGD)

Inner tube transports heated helium from the core to the turbine. Outer tube moves cooler helium back into core

Hot gas duct

General Atomics Gas-Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR)

Cross-section of HGD

Perform a complete thermal analysis on the HGD using analytic techniques and finite element software Determine heat losses through the HGD under

different flow conditions Determine thermal conductivity of the

insulation Analyze amount of thermal expansion realized Model simple version of a HGD under different

flow conditions on COMSOL

Review steady state heat conduction through shell

Review concept of critical radius of insulation Study and apply laminar flow to HGD, followed

by laminar flow with heat transfer Study and apply turbulent flow to HGD,

followed by turbulent flow with heat transfer Create idealized model of HGD using COMSOL

Adding insulation to cylinder creates contradiction: Increases conduction resistance of insulation layer Decreases convection resistance of surface due to

increase in surface area Critical radius achieved when r = k/h