Studies of low velocity, low pressure heat transfer with application to the operation and safety analysis of open pool research reactors

This report describes a new thermal hydraulic experimental facility at the University of New Mexico that was designed and built to study low velocity, low pressure heat transfer phenomena associated with the operation of open pool research reactors. The closed-circulation type loop provides a capability of operating up to three test sections in parallel under forced and/or natural circulation flow conditions. Forced turbulent flow experiments, performed to validate the loop and its instrumentation, are described. Correlations from these experiments agree with the widely used Dittus-Boelter correlations to within +-16%. In addition, most of the available experimental and theoretical studies in both natural convection and combined natural/forced laminar flows are tabulated in the extensive literature-review section of this report. The report introduces a scooping map showing the range of applicability of the convection correlations that were reviewed. The work reported here was performed during the first year of a multiyear, joint research program in thermal hydraulics, which is being conducted at the University of New Mexico with support from Sandia National Laboratories and GA Technologies. 103 refs., 47 figs., 10 tabs