Application of the orthogonal collocation method to determination of temperature distribution in cylindrical conductors

In this work, an analytical model for the determination of the temperature distribution in cylindrical heater components with characteristics of nuclear fuel rods, is presented. The heat conductor is characterized by an arbitrary number of solid walls and different types of materials, whose thermal properties are taken as function of temperature. The heat conduction fundamental equation is solved numerically with the method of weighted residuals (MWR) using a technique of orthogonal collocation. The results obtained with the proposed method are compared with the experimental data from tests performed in the TRIGA IPR-R1 research reactor localized at the CDTN/CNEN (Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear/Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear) at Belo Horizonte in Brazil.