The focus of this paper is on the unique issues associated with COMSOL modeling of the 3D geometry, meshing, and solution of the HFIR more » fuel plate and assembled fuel elements. Because LEU HFIR-specific testing and experiments will be limited, COMSOL is chosen to provide the needed multiphysics simulation capability to validate against the HEU design data and calculations, and predict the performance of the LEU fuel for design and safety analyses. « lessĪ research and development project is ongoing to convert the currently operating High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) from highly-enriched Uranium (HEU U3O8) fuel to low-enriched Uranium (LEU U-10Mo) fuel. The small discripancy in the MHD pressure drop between contractions and expansions (<8%) suggests that the earlier obtained correlations for the 3D MHD pressure drop in a duct flow with a sudden expansion can also be applied to flows with a sudden contraction. Numerical computations have shown that the MHD pressure drops in the eutectic lead-lithium (PbLi) flows in contractions are almost identical to those in the flows featuring expansion with slightly higher magnitudes in the contraction cases. In the present work, the extend to which these correlations can be applied to outlet manifolds, which feature sudden contractions, is investigated in both viscous-electromagnetic (VE) and inertial-electromagnetic (IE) regimes for more » Reynolds numbers 50 < Re < 1500, Hartmann numbers 2500 < Ha < 5475, and expansion/contraction ratio 10. Recent correlations demonstrate promise for predicting pressure drops in electrically insulated inlet manifolds. Of such components, manifolds exhibit major pressure losses. Predicting 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pressure losses associated with liquid metal flows in complex geometry ducts is required to design breeding blankets for fusion reactors.
Finally, the prototype studied in this paper is the first proof of concept of a permanent magnet excited liquid metal MHD generator using Gallium as its working = , Simulation details are provided in addition to a comparison to experimental results. This paper provides mathematical background as well as a detailed multiphysics model of a low temperature liquid metal MHD power generator built in COMSOL. These factors suggest that this is an opportune time to reevaluate MHD power generation. Additionally, the steady increase in accessible computational capabilities provides a powerful new tool for interdisciplinary modeling and multiphysics simulations. MHD generators using liquid metal as the working fluid represent a viable option for this augmentation. However, the current socioeconomic climate demands more diversity in renewable energy sources. Therefore, the procedures of this study can therefore be used for the design and optimisation of tillage machinery.Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generation is an interdisciplinary process, which was studied heavily in the late 1960’s but interest soon subsided.
The results from the experimental stress measurements and simulation data from the model showed good agreement. A discrete element method (DEM) model was used to create and optimise a comprehensive soil model, and its results were used in a finite element method (FEM) model for a transient analysis. Strain gauges were attached at the same locations in a real-life model, and predicted stress values verified experimentally. The frame of the agricultural machine was also simulated with particular emphasis on the locations where the stresses could be measured.
The stresses acting on the chisel shank during tillage were simulated using a numerical model. To analyse loads a numerical model of tillage machine was compiled. During work, a tillage machine may not only be loaded by its own weight, but also by the interaction of any tools interacting with the soil that transmit loads to itsframe. The development of technologies, especially electronics, has led to completely new possibilities for the design and optimisation of agricultural machinery. For this reason, manufacturers of agricultural machinery aim to design machines that are both reliable and inexpensive. For a limited time following harvest, tillage machines must perform a significant amount of work, and any downtime has a significant negative impact on farm economics. Soil tillage machinery must be highly reliable during its operation.