MODELING OF THERMAL AND GAS-DYNAMICAL PROCESSES IN CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE WEAPONS-GRADE PLUTONIUM

One of actual computing problems arising in connection with a problem of organization of storage of weapon plutonium is considered in this work. It is a problem of calculation of the temperature fields in containers and storage building in conditions of long-term storage of ingots of the weapon plutonium. The special technique taking into account peculiarities of the considered physical processes is developed for numerical modeling of thermal processes in containers including heat transfer on account of heat conduction, internal free convection, heat transfer by radiation. The efficiency of this technique in problems of calculation of temperature fields of containers with plutonium is shown on the example of calculation of some models of two cans container configurations designed in Westinghouse Savannah River Company and container AT400R. The different effects are analyzed by means of numerical modeling. These effects are connected with the accounting of natural convections of air in cavities of container, the accounting of flow of heat through a bottom of container to the rack of storage, the influence of gap between a bottom of container and rack of storage on distribution of temperatures.