Escalamiento de reactores nucleares. Un enfoque al modelado matemático

This work introduces a new paradigm for the mathematical modeling of nuclear reactors, based on a scaling approach that starts from the continuum scale and extends the analysis to the full reactor scale. This scaling process for the direct problem enables the derivation of transport coefficients representative of the reactor scale, incorporating the effects of transport properties intrinsic to the continuum scale.

Reactor scaling constitutes a rigorous mathematical procedure that can result in segregated flow models, with specific transport coefficients for each scale. These coefficients are obtained through a complex mathematical formalism that poses a technical challenge but offers the advantage of facilitating the development of empirical correlations for direct practical applications.

The final outcome is a mathematical model capable of accurately representing the global behavior of the reactor while maintaining a high degree of resolution. Furthermore, to enhance the level of detail in specific analyses within the reactor, a heuristic scale reduction method is proposed. This approach uses information derived from larger scales, starting at the reactor core level and progressing to the fuel assembly, enabling detailed analysis of individual elements, such as a fuel pin.