Modeling and Simulation of Flow and Uranium Isotopes Separation in Gas Centrifuges Using Implicit Coupled Density-Based Solver in OpenFOAM

Authors

  • Valiyollah Ghazanfari Materials and Nuclear Fuel Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O. Box: 11365-8486, Tehran-Iran
  • Ali Akbar Salehi Department of Energy Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box: 14565-1114, Tehran-Iran
  • Ali Reza Keshtkar Materials and Nuclear Fuel Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O. Box: 11365-8486, Tehran-Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3007-0619
  • Mohammad Mahdi Shadman Advanced Technology Company of Iran, AEOI, P.O. Box: 14399-55431, Tehran-Iran
  • Mohammad Hossein Askari Advanced Technology Company of Iran, AEOI, P.O. Box: 14399-55431, Tehran-Iran

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13052/ejcm2642-2085.2911

Keywords:

Gas flow modeling, uranium isotopes separation, gas centrifuge, ICDB solver, OpenFOAM

Abstract

The performance of a gas centrifuge that is used for isotopes separation is dependent on the gas flow inside it. In this study, for modeling the UF6 gas flow, an Implicit Coupled Density-Based (ICDB) solver, was developed in OpenFOAM. To validate the ICDB solver, the gas flow within the rotor in total reflux state was compared with the analytical solution obtained by Onsager model and the numerical solution obtained by the Fluent software. The results showed that the ICDB solver had acceptable accuracy and validity. Also the computational efficiency of Roe, AUSM (Advection Upstream Splitting Method) and AUSM+ up schemes were compared. The results showed AUSM+ up scheme is efficient. Then, the uranium isotopes separation in a gas centrifuge was simulated. It was revealed that all gas flow characteristics including velocity, pressure, temperature and axial mass flux, as well as uranium isotope separation parameters including separation power and separation coefficients could well be predicted.

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Author Biographies

Valiyollah Ghazanfari, Materials and Nuclear Fuel Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O. Box: 11365-8486, Tehran-Iran

Valiyollah Ghazanfari earned a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from Nuclear Science and Technology Institute in 2020, Iran. His research focuses on thermodynamic, fluid mechanic, CFD and numerical simulation using Open-FOAM and Fluent. He is currently working in Advanced Technology Company of Iran and Materials and Nuclear Fuel Research School.

Ali Akbar Salehi, Department of Energy Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box: 14565-1114, Tehran-Iran

Ali Akbar Salehi received a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977. He is full professor and was chancellor of Sharif University of Technology. His research focuses on Theoretical Physics. He is currently head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

Ali Reza Keshtkar, Materials and Nuclear Fuel Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O. Box: 11365-8486, Tehran-Iran

Ali Reza Keshtkar earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Tehran University, Iran. He is full professor and his research interests include design and analysis of separation processes. He is currently head of the Material and Nuclear Fuel Research School.

Mohammad Mahdi Shadman, Advanced Technology Company of Iran, AEOI, P.O. Box: 14399-55431, Tehran-Iran

Mohammad Mahdi Shadman received a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Tarbiat Modarres University, Iran. His research focuses on thermo-kinetic and fluid-mechanic in chemical engineering. He is currently working in Advanced Technology Company of Iran.

Mohammad Hossein Askari, Advanced Technology Company of Iran, AEOI, P.O. Box: 14399-55431, Tehran-Iran

Mohammad Hossein Askari earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Tehran University, Iran. His research focuses on fluid mechanic, numerical simulation and CFD method using Fluent software. He is currently working in Advanced Technology Company of Iran.

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Published

2020-07-13

How to Cite

Ghazanfari, V., Salehi, A. A., Keshtkar, A. R., Shadman, M. M., & Askari, M. H. (2020). Modeling and Simulation of Flow and Uranium Isotopes Separation in Gas Centrifuges Using Implicit Coupled Density-Based Solver in OpenFOAM. European Journal of Computational Mechanics, 29(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.13052/ejcm2642-2085.2911

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