Coolant circuit interaction with the coolant closed volume through a vertical rectangular opening

The results are presented of experimental and numerical investigations into the flow pattern, temperature fields and velocity of coolant for a model of fast reactor elevator circuit with an integral layout. The experimental study is made with a model presenting a horizonal cylindrical chamber 185 mm in diameter and 135 mm long separated into two parts with a coolant-proof partition. Distilled water was taken as a coolant. The coolant flow pattern was observed by a shadow technique. The temperature fields were measured by movable thermocouples. To measure the velocity field, a method of visualized photography of turbulent flow was employed. The visualization of the flow was excercised by introduction of microparticles into the flow, their size being in the range of 1 μm. The numerical study was performed by way of solving two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations in the form of Helmholtz and an energy equation in the rectangular co-ordinate system. The numerical solution of the problem was made with a BESM-6 computer. The studies performed have shown that the fluid in the elevator circuit of a fast reactor has a stable stratification, the hot layers of coolant being located at the top region, the cold ones - at the bottom region. The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data