Date of Award

Summer 2019

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Nuclear Engineering

First Advisor

Travis W. Knight

Abstract

View factors are functions that represent the geometric relationship between surfaces. They are important parameters for radiative heat transfer calculations. View factor catalogues are available for simple geometries in the current literature. However, in the case of complicated geometry, analytical or numerical methods are needed to evaluate view factors. The Monte Carlo (MC) method is the most flexible one among numerical methods, which are used to calculate view factors, since it can be applied to any geometry.

When experimental studies are not affordable to conduct, modeling of engineering problems gains more importance. Idaho National Laboratory (INL)’s finite element framework Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) is a robust engineering tool to model physical problems including heat transfer. However, MOOSE doesn’t have a method to calculate view factors. Hence, a method is needed to calculate radiative heat transfer using view factors. Implementing a new model in MOOSE and using it in heat transfer calculations for an arbitrary geometry will enable the detailed evaluation of radiative heat transfer in complex geometries.

In this study, a nuclear fuel pellet heating and cracking experimental case is modeled as a sample case by using the new MOOSE methods that are implemented in this study. The effect of radiative heat transfer on radial and axial temperature profile is evaluated.

Rights

© 2019, Abdurrahman Ozturk

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