Title: Numerical investigation of Al₂O₃ nanoparticle effect on a boiling forced swirl flow field: application to the ITER project

Authors: Ataollah Rabiee; Alireza Atf; Amir Hossein Kamalinia

Addresses: School of Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran ' School of Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran ' School of Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract: One of the most important issues in design of the nuclear fusion power plants is the heat removal from the hottest region at the divertor. Various methods could be employed in order to improve the heat transfer efficiency such as generating turbulent flow and injection of nanoparticles in the host fluid. In the current study, water/Al₂O₃ nanofluid forced swirl flow boiling has been investigated by using homogeneous thermophysical model within Eulerian-Eulerian framework through a twisted tape tube and boiling phenomenon was modelled using the Rensselear Polytechnic Institute approach. In addition to comparing the results with the experimental data and their reasonable agreement, it was evidenced that higher flow mixing results in more uniform bulk temperature and lower wall temperature along the twisted tape tube. The presence of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles in the boiling flow field showed that increasing the nanoparticle concentration leads to a reduced vapour volume fraction and wall temperature.

Keywords: nanoparticle; boiling; computational fluid dynamics; two-phase flow; alumina.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2020.112141

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2020 Vol.14 No.2, pp.114 - 132

Received: 28 Nov 2019
Accepted: 06 Jul 2020
Published online: 04 Jan 2021 *

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