Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

2024

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Gregory Michna

Abstract

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of two designs of ProtoDUNE single-phase neutrino detectors were developed, refined, and analyzed. These detectors are prototypes for the full-sized far detectors that are part of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), an international research collaboration aimed at better understanding of neutrinos and the role they play in our universe. Representative simplified models of the complex geometries of the prototype detectors were created using commercial modeling software, Dassault System’s SolidWorks, and these simplified models were imported to the commercial CFD program SimCenter Star-CCM+®. The baseline parameters including inlet temperatures, ambient temperature, electronic heat load, liquid argon (LAr) height, and LAr mass flow rate were estimated by conducting a CFD study on the liquid region and by referring to DUNE Technical Design Reports (TDRs), but there was still uncertainty in the values. Therefore, a series of parametric studies were conducted on the ProtoDUNE’s liquid region, varying geometric features, inlet temperatures, electronic heat load, LAr height inside the cryostat, room temperature, and LAr mass flow rate. The parametric study aims to quantify the correlation between the temperature profile results obtained by the simulation of ProtoDUNE-I SP and the experimental results provided by the DUNE collaboration during its operation in 2018. Simulation results for variations in baseline parameters were compared to experimental data using a statistical technique known as chi-squared analysis. The results of the parametric study showed that the baseline values are optimal for all parameters except for electronic heat load. A 10% decrease in the electronic heat load's baseline value (336W) was observed as the optimal fit and was set as the new baseline value for future simulation setups. Additionally, a new CFD model for ProtoDUNE-II (2nd phase of ProtoDUNE-I SP) was developed. A pressure coefficient study to calculate the inertial and viscous resistance values for porous regions of the model was conducted along with refinement in other geometric features. A similar parametric study for ProtoDUNE-II will be conducted once experimental data is available. This study plays an important role in understanding how slight changes in various parameters can lead to significant differences in the temperature profiles. The study will assist other DUNE collaborators in understanding impurity distribution, predicting flow characteristics, offering design insights, and validating the methods for simulating future studies.

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Download

Share

COinS
 

Rights Statement

In Copyright