CFD simulation for thermal mixing of a SMART flow mixing header assembly

A flow mixing header assembly (FMHA) is installed in a system-integrated modular advanced reactor (SMART) to enhance the thermal mixing capability and create a uniform core flow distribution under both normal operation and accident conditions. In this study, the thermal mixing characteristics of the FMHA are investigated for various steam generator conditions using a commercial CFD code. Simulations include investigations for the effects of FMHA discharge flow rate differences, turbulence models, and steam generator conditions. The results of the analysis show that the FMHA works effectively for thermal mixing in various conditions and makes the temperature difference at the core inlet decrease noticeably. We verified that the mixing capability of the FMHA is excellent and satisfies the design requirement in all simulation cases tested here.