A study of heat transfer characteristics of liquid metals flowing across tube banks of square arrangement

It is commonly recognized that the most suitable material as a coolant of fast breeder reactor is liquid metal. Heat transfer characteristics of liquid metals are examined for flow field across tube banks of a square arrangement. As a unit of the banks, three cylinders in line parallel to the flow direction is adopted. Experiments are performed to estimate Nusselt numbers around the cylinders and the results are compared with numerical analyses based on a simple inviscid, irrotational flow model and a viscous flow model. As a result of the present examination, it becomes clear that the simple inviscid, irrotational flow model is not fit so well as it has been reported for triangular arrangement, but still can be used for ordinary estimations. (author). 5 refs., 7 figs