CFD Analysis of Heat Transfer in Molten Salt Fuel Chambers of the Wielenga Innovation Static Salt Reactor (WISSR)

Abstract This paper presents the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to study the heat transfer in the Wielenga Innovation Static Salt Reactor (WISSR), which is a fast-spectrum TRU-burner reactor. The core consists of thin annular fuel chambers holding NaCl-(TRU,U)Cl3 fuel salts that are arranged concentrically, and NaCl-KCl-MgCl2 coolant flowing through the gaps between fuel chambers removes the heat. In the central fuel chambers, stainless steel corrugations are used to enhance the conduction of heat from fuel to coolant. The CFD analysis focuses on two main aspects. Firstly, it assesses the natural circulation of fuel salt. Secondly, the interaction of fuel salt and helium gas at the top of chambers is investigated using the volume of fluid (VOF) method. The CFD analysis confirms the feasibility of the design.