Natural convection experimental circuit in small scale

It is under construction and assembling an experimental natural circulation system at IEN/CNEN . The experimental system was designed according to similarity criteria for scaling reduced models of an advanced PWR passive residual heat removal system. It consists of a cylindrical vessel and a heat exchanger, coupled by a cold leg and a hot leg. The cylindrical vessel includes the following parts: downcomer, lower plenum, upper plenum, nozzles and electrically rods (core) with a typical PWR rod diameter and and pitch. The system will have instrumentation to provide flow measurements such as temperature, pressure, velocity power and void fraction. (author)