Categorical Exclusion Determination
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
July 31, 2016
Estimated Read Time min
The project will conduct computer modeling, as well as experimental initiatives. The experimental initiatives include modifications to the current Utah State University experimental wind tunnel to evaluate flows and buoyancy-driven phenomena present in Very High Temperature Reactors during Loss of flow accident conditions. Once complete, four different experimental convection conditions will be analyzed: (1) forced convection; (2) buoyancy-aided mixed convection; (3) buoyancy-opposed mixed convection; and (4) natural convection. As the final research effort, a parametric evaluation on the impact of the bypass gap size relative to that of the central coolant channel will be carried out.