Numerical Simulation of Single/Two-Phase Flow in a Stratified Porous Bed

Abstract This study investigates the coolability of debris beds formed from Fuel-Coolant Interactions (FCI) within nuclear reactors, a critical safety concern when cooling systems fail, leading to significant core melting in light-water reactors. The research focuses on understanding the flow dynamics within two-layer stratified porous beds, which develop from the mixture of corium and coolant, particularly around the interface between layers. Using ANSYS Fluent software, numerical simulations were conducted to estimate velocity profiles and pressure drops across a stratified porous structure. The Euler-Euler two-fluid model was employed alongside the k-ω-based Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model to separately model turbulence for each phase. The results reveal that lateral flow dynamics are significant as fluids traverse through the porous media, affecting pressure drops across layers with varying permeabilities. Specifically, the pressure drops across the lower-permeability layer decrease while that across the higher-permeability layer increases, highlighting the influence of lateral flows between layers of different particle sizes due to variations in porosity. This lateral flow is most likely formed during the initial stages of fluid movement through the bed. The study underscores the importance of understanding these flow characteristics for both single/two-phase flow to enhance the safety and design of nuclear reactors by improving debris bed coolability predictions.