A Lattice Boltzmann Modeling of Corrosion Behavior and Oxygen Transport in the Natural Convection Lead-Alloy Flow

Authors

Huajun Chen, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Yitung Chen, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Hsuan-Tsung Hsieh, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Jinsuo Zhang, Los Alamos National LaboratoryFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-2007

Publication Title

Nuclear Engineering and Design

Volume

237

Issue

18

First page number:

1987

Last page number:

1998

Abstract

Corrosion of structural materials presents a critical challenge in the use of lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) or liquid lead as a nuclear coolant in accelerator-driven systems and advanced reactors. Actively controlling the oxygen concentration in LBE has been proved to be effective to mitigate corrosion under certain conditions. For mixing the oxygen uniformly and quickly, natural convection is proposed to enhance the oxygen transport. In the present study, a lattice Boltzmman simulation of coupled natural convection and lead bismuth eutectic flow in a simplified container was carried out to study characteristics of the oxygen transport and corrosion behaviors. It is assumed that the corrosion product (mainly iron) concentration is at its equilibrium level at the wall. The wall boundary condition for the mass transfer of corrosion production was taken based on the active-oxygen-control model. To examine the effect of different nature convection flow patterns on corrosion behavior and oxygen transport, three heating cases, which correspond to one-, two- and four-vortex flow patterns, are examined. Both of the local and average Sherwood number at the wall, distribution of corrosion product and oxygen, and oxygen diffusion time are analyzed. Some useful information was obtained to understand the mechanism of corrosion behavior and oxygen transport in the LBE system.

Keywords

Corrosion and anti-corrosives; Heat – Convection; Natural; Iron – Oxidation; Lead-bismuth alloys; Liquid metals; Oxygen

Disciplines

Fluid Dynamics | Mechanical Engineering | Metallurgy | Nuclear Engineering

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the item. Publisher policy does not allow archiving the final published version. If a post-print (author's peer-reviewed manuscript) is allowed and available, or publisher policy changes, the item will be deposited.

Repository Citation

Chen, H., Chen, Y., Hsieh, H., Zhang, J. (2007). A Lattice Boltzmann Modeling of Corrosion Behavior and Oxygen Transport in the Natural Convection Lead-Alloy Flow. Nuclear Engineering and Design, 237(18), 1987-1998.