Fluid Dynamics Exploration in Molten Salt Reactors: A Comprehensive Study of Draining Tank Using the Moving Particle Semi-Implicit Method
Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) represent a promising advancement in nuclear energy technology through the use of liquid fuels, offering inherent safety features and efficient thermal conversion. A critical safety mechanism in MSRs is the drain tank system, designed to passively remove molten salt fuel...
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Physics Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences University of Jember
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Computational and Experimental Research in Materials and Renewable Energy |
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| Online Access: | https://cerimre.jurnal.unej.ac.id/index.php/CERiMRE/article/view/53687 |
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| author | Yacobus Yulianto Asril Pramutadi Andi Mustari Muhammad Rizqie Arbie |
| author_facet | Yacobus Yulianto Asril Pramutadi Andi Mustari Muhammad Rizqie Arbie |
| author_sort | Yacobus Yulianto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) represent a promising advancement in nuclear energy technology through the use of liquid fuels, offering inherent safety features and efficient thermal conversion. A critical safety mechanism in MSRs is the drain tank system, designed to passively remove molten salt fuel during emergency shutdowns. This study presents a comprehensive hydrodynamic analysis of the draining process in such tanks using the Moving Particle Semi-Implicit (MPS) method, a mesh-free Lagrangian computational fluid dynamics technique well-suited for simulating free-surface flows. The investigation focused on key parameters including discharge velocity, pressure distribution, discharge rate, discharge coefficient, and Reynolds number for three fluids: light water, FLiBe (LiF-BeF₂), and FLiNaK (LiF-NaF-KF). Simulations were performed under isothermal conditions, neglecting heat transfer to isolate pure fluid dynamic behavior. Results reveal a consistent discharge pattern across all fluids, characterized by an initial rapid flow phase followed by gradual stabilization. FLiBe and FLiNaK, due to their higher densities and viscosities, exhibited slightly greater initial velocities and pressures than light water, yet all fluids demonstrated similar discharge rates and coefficients over time. The Reynolds number analysis confirmed turbulent flow regimes throughout the drainage process for each fluid. Despite differences in physical properties, the overall draining behavior and temporal trends in velocity and pressure were remarkably similar. These findings validate the use of MPS in analyzing transient liquid dynamics in MSR safety systems and provide valuable insights into reactor design optimization. Future work incorporating thermal effects could further enhance understanding of coupled thermofluid behavior, supporting the development of MSRs as a reliable and sustainable energy solution.
Keywords: drainage, FLiBe, FLiNaK, liquid, MPS, MSR |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e93a0c06878044b8afb39ba656ea721a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2747-173X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Physics Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences University of Jember |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Computational and Experimental Research in Materials and Renewable Energy |
| spelling | doaj-art-e93a0c06878044b8afb39ba656ea721a2025-08-20T02:10:01ZengPhysics Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences University of JemberComputational and Experimental Research in Materials and Renewable Energy2747-173X2025-05-018111810.19184/cerimre.v8i1.5368765537Fluid Dynamics Exploration in Molten Salt Reactors: A Comprehensive Study of Draining Tank Using the Moving Particle Semi-Implicit MethodYacobus Yulianto0Asril Pramutadi Andi Mustari1Muhammad Rizqie Arbie2Physics Department, Halu Oleo UniversityDepartment of Physics, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, IndonesiaDepartment of Physics, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, IndonesiaMolten Salt Reactors (MSRs) represent a promising advancement in nuclear energy technology through the use of liquid fuels, offering inherent safety features and efficient thermal conversion. A critical safety mechanism in MSRs is the drain tank system, designed to passively remove molten salt fuel during emergency shutdowns. This study presents a comprehensive hydrodynamic analysis of the draining process in such tanks using the Moving Particle Semi-Implicit (MPS) method, a mesh-free Lagrangian computational fluid dynamics technique well-suited for simulating free-surface flows. The investigation focused on key parameters including discharge velocity, pressure distribution, discharge rate, discharge coefficient, and Reynolds number for three fluids: light water, FLiBe (LiF-BeF₂), and FLiNaK (LiF-NaF-KF). Simulations were performed under isothermal conditions, neglecting heat transfer to isolate pure fluid dynamic behavior. Results reveal a consistent discharge pattern across all fluids, characterized by an initial rapid flow phase followed by gradual stabilization. FLiBe and FLiNaK, due to their higher densities and viscosities, exhibited slightly greater initial velocities and pressures than light water, yet all fluids demonstrated similar discharge rates and coefficients over time. The Reynolds number analysis confirmed turbulent flow regimes throughout the drainage process for each fluid. Despite differences in physical properties, the overall draining behavior and temporal trends in velocity and pressure were remarkably similar. These findings validate the use of MPS in analyzing transient liquid dynamics in MSR safety systems and provide valuable insights into reactor design optimization. Future work incorporating thermal effects could further enhance understanding of coupled thermofluid behavior, supporting the development of MSRs as a reliable and sustainable energy solution. Keywords: drainage, FLiBe, FLiNaK, liquid, MPS, MSRhttps://cerimre.jurnal.unej.ac.id/index.php/CERiMRE/article/view/53687drainageflibeflinakliquidmpsmsr |
| spellingShingle | Yacobus Yulianto Asril Pramutadi Andi Mustari Muhammad Rizqie Arbie Fluid Dynamics Exploration in Molten Salt Reactors: A Comprehensive Study of Draining Tank Using the Moving Particle Semi-Implicit Method Computational and Experimental Research in Materials and Renewable Energy drainage flibe flinak liquid mps msr |
| title | Fluid Dynamics Exploration in Molten Salt Reactors: A Comprehensive Study of Draining Tank Using the Moving Particle Semi-Implicit Method |
| title_full | Fluid Dynamics Exploration in Molten Salt Reactors: A Comprehensive Study of Draining Tank Using the Moving Particle Semi-Implicit Method |
| title_fullStr | Fluid Dynamics Exploration in Molten Salt Reactors: A Comprehensive Study of Draining Tank Using the Moving Particle Semi-Implicit Method |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fluid Dynamics Exploration in Molten Salt Reactors: A Comprehensive Study of Draining Tank Using the Moving Particle Semi-Implicit Method |
| title_short | Fluid Dynamics Exploration in Molten Salt Reactors: A Comprehensive Study of Draining Tank Using the Moving Particle Semi-Implicit Method |
| title_sort | fluid dynamics exploration in molten salt reactors a comprehensive study of draining tank using the moving particle semi implicit method |
| topic | drainage flibe flinak liquid mps msr |
| url | https://cerimre.jurnal.unej.ac.id/index.php/CERiMRE/article/view/53687 |
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