TAP-LOOP, Steady-State and Transient Thermal Analysis of Closed Test Loops

1 - Description of program or function: TAP-LOOP is a finite-difference program designed for steady-state and transient thermal analysis of recirculating fluid loops and associated heat transfer equipment; however, it is not limited to loop analysis. TAP-LOOP was developed to perform scoping and conceptual design analyses for closed test loops in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF), but it can handle a variety of problems which can be described in terms of potentials, sources, sinks, and storage including, in addition to heat transfer problems, studies of potential fluid flow, electrical networks, and stress analysis. 2 - Method of solution: TAP-LOOP employs a finite-difference approximation in which the problem is broken into mesh points each representing a small volume or node. Temperatures are then calculated depending on whether the analysis is steady-state or transient and whether the node contains fluid transport in addition to diffusion or diffusion only. Five types of nodes are provided: fluid flow nodes consisting of cathode follower and time-lagged nodes, constant-temperature nodes, zero capacitance and finite capacitance nodes. Heat transfer terms are calculated conventionally via conductances or admittances and potential differences. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem - Maxima of: 999 connections, 500 nodes, 100 nodes having latent heat