The impact of tube bundle layout on the thermal and fluidic behaviour of liquid lead–bismuth eutectic in a helical-coiled once-through steam generator

This study introduces a numerical model to assess the thermal and frictional properties of LBE crossflow over tube bundles on the shell side of a Helical-coiled Once-Through Steam Generator (H-OTSG) considering different arrangements, including inline, obliquely staggered, triangular, and rotated square configurations. The k-ω SST turbulence model combined with Kays turbulent Prandtl number model is utilized to develop the numerical model. The simulation results have been validated against experimental data and empirical correlations. The layouts of the tube bundles significantly influence the generation of transverse flow, vortical structures and rate of heat transfer in the flow domain. The maximum Nusselt number of 8.2 is observed for the triangular layout as significant crossflow is induced, which is a 10% increase compared to the inline arrangement where the Nusselt number is 7.45. Triangle layouts also exhibit a higher friction factor of 0.45, marking a 20% increase compared to the 0.45 friction factor observed in the inline arrangement. Increasing the oblique angle usually reduces the heat transfer rate and friction factor. Yet, at a 45-degree layout, higher turbulence intensity results in a Nu of 7.05, surpassing 6.93 observed at 30° but falling short of 7.15 at 15°. Nu decreases for rotated square arrangements, but a friction factor greater than the inline arrangement is observed at higher diagonal pitches. The Thermal Enhancement Factor (THEF) is employed to assess the thermal effectiveness of the different tube bundle layouts, and the maximum THEF of 1.1 is observed for the layout with an oblique angle of 45°. Favorable THEF values of 1.06 and 1.05 are recorded for the triangular layout and 30-degree oblique angle, respectively. This numerical study will assist the design and development of LBE H-OTSG.