Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection 2017 Volume 32, Issue 4, Pages: 320-326
https://doi.org/10.2298/NTRP1704320M
Full text ( 2179 KB)
Neutronic simulation of a CANDU-6 reactor with heavy water-based nanofluid coolant
Mirghaffari Reza (Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Tehran, Iran)
Jahanfarnia Gholamreza (Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Tehran, Iran)
Athari Allaf Mitra (Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Tehran, Iran)
In recent years, extended studies are developed for investigation the effects
of using nanofluids in NPP as coolant. CANDU-6 reactors have the potential to
use nanofluid coolants because in these reactors, the moderator system is
fully independent of the primary heat transport system. MCNPX code has been
used for modelling and simulation of a CANDU-6 reactor containing a nanofluid
as primary coolant. The variation of multiplication factor and total neutron
flux distribution along a fuel channel, next to the central axis, has been
investigated by using different nanofluids. In this analysis, heavy
water-based nanofluids containing various volumetric percentages of Al2O3,
TiO2, CuO, Ti, Cu, Zr, and Si nanoparticles were used. A typical CANDU-6
reactor was selected as reference for reactor core modelling. The results of
the neutronic analysis show that Al2O3 nanofluids with 1% volumetric
percentage are the most suitable coolant for CANDU-6 reactors which can
increase the coolant heat transfer coefficient and consequently enhance the
plant efficiency.
Keywords: nanofluid, CANDU-6, MCNPX, neutronic analysis