Numerical study on heat transfer performance of cooling channels in space core

Heat transfer enhancement is an important way to improve the economy of space nuclear power systems. A three-dimensional cooling channel model without a gap is established. Numerical simulation of single cooling channel was employed by Fluent. The impact of parameters such as the type of coolant, Reynolds number (Re), and axial linear power density on the performance of the heat transfer of the space core were examined. The results show that, under the same working condition, the thermal property of carbon dioxide is the best. With the increase of Re, the outlet temperature of the core decreases and the cooling effect becomes worse. The axial linear power density has a little effect on the heat transfer performance. Therefore, in a certain temperature range, the core size can be minimized by decreasing the axial linear power density.