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Modeling of Critical Heat Flux Using Lattice Boltzmann Methods: Application to the Experimental Devices


Thesis topic details

General information

Organisation

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.

Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.

The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
  

Reference

SL-DES-25-0150  

Thesis topic details

Category

Engineering science

Thesis topics

Modeling of Critical Heat Flux Using Lattice Boltzmann Methods: Application to the Experimental Devices of the RJH

Contract

Thèse

Job description

The Lattice Boltzmann Methods (LBM) are numerical techniques used to simulate transport phenomena in complex systems. They allow for the modeling of fluid behavior in terms of particles that move on a discrete grid (a 'lattice'). Unlike classical methods, which directly solve the differential equations of fluids, LBM simulates the evolution of distribution functions of fluid particles in a discrete space, using propagation and collision rules. The choice of the lattice in LBM is a crucial step, as it directly affects the accuracy, efficiency, and stability of the simulations. The lattice determines how fluid particles interact and move within space, as well as how the discretization of space and time is performed.

LBM methods exhibit natural parallelism properties, as calculations at each grid point are relatively independent. Although classical CFD methods based on the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations can also be parallelized, the nonlinear terms can make parallelism more difficult to manage, especially for models involving turbulent flows or irregular meshes. Therefore, LBM methods allow, at a lower computational cost, to capture complex phenomena. Recent work has shown that it is possible, with LBM, to reproduce the Nukiyama cooling curve (boiling in a vessel) and thus accurately calculate the critical heat flux. This flux corresponds to a mass boiling, known as the boiling crisis, which results in a sudden degradation of heat transfer.

The critical heat flux is a crucial issue for the Jules Horowitz Reactor, as experimental devices (DEX) are cooled by water in either natural or forced convection. Therefore, to ensure proper cooling of the DEX and the safety of the reactor, it is essential to ensure that, within the studied parameter range, the critical heat flux is not reached. It must therefore be determined with precision.

In the first part of the study, the student will define a lattice to apply LBM methods on an RJH device in natural convection. The student will then consolidate the results by comparing them with available data. Finally, exploratory calculations in forced convection (from laminar to turbulent flow) will be conducted.

University / doctoral school

Sciences pour l’Ingénieur : Mécanique, Physique, Micro et Nanoélectronique (SIMPMN)
Aix-Marseille Université

Thesis topic location

Site

Cadarache

Requester

Position start date

01/10/2025

Person to be contacted by the applicant

BOULIN Anne anne.boulin@cea.fr
CEA
DES/DER//CCAP
Centre de Cadarache
CEA/DEN/CAD/DER/SERJH/LFSC
Bat 1222, CEA Cadarache
13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance

04.42.25.78.23

Tutor / Responsible thesis director

BOIVIN PIERRE pierre.boivin@univ-amu.fr
CNRS
M2P2 Marseille
M2P2
06 49 09 40 38

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