Gas bubble adhesion to heat transfer surfaces

A model of gas bubble adhesion to heat transfer surfaces is developed, by considering the drag, surface tension and buoyancy forces acting on a gas bubble attached to a solid wall with liquid flowing past. The model is consistent with the fuel pin failures that were observed in the irradiation tests of fuel sub-assemblys for the British Prototype Fast Reactor, and predicts that changing to upward flow will not in itself necessarily prevent such failures in the future. (Auth.)