Experimental study of the re-wetting of a hot surface by sodium

Results are presented of re-wetting experiments in which liquid sodium was pumped upwards into a hot stainless steel tube from a reservoir. The parameter which most affected the re-wetting velocity was found to be the initial temperature of the tube wall. In all the tests the re-wetting velocity decreased significantly as this temperature was increased. No sodium re-wetting experiments have been reported in the literature. There has been extensive work with water, however. The influence on re-wetting rate of the parameters investigated in the sodium tests was similar to that observed by other groups working with water. (author)