Thermodynamic calculation and exergy analysis of pressurized water reactor fuel rods
1. Taizhou College, Nanjing Normal University, Taizhou, Jiangsu 225300, China; 2. School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanjing,Jiangsu 210094, China
Abstract:To investigate the exergy loss of fuel rod during converting nuclear energy into thermal energy, the partial differential equations of steady heat transfer of pressurized water reactor fuel rods and the first and second laws of thermodynamics were used. The exergy analysis method was innovatively combined with the numerical calculation of temperature field. The numerical calculation program was compiled to simulate the fuel rods and heat transfer channels and analyze the temperature distribution, the exergy loss distribution and the energy utilization efficiency during converting nuclear energy into heat energy and during coolant heat transfer. The results show that the fuel rod exergy loss is increased with latter decreasing in the axial direction and increased in the radial direction with the maximum exergy loss coefficient of 0.207 at the edge of fuel core. The exergy loss in the convective heat transfer process is mainly related to the heat transfer temperature difference and increased with latter decreasing along the thermal channel with the total exergy loss coefficient of 0.304.