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U.S. Department of Energy
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PEBBLE BED FRICTION FACTOR AND THERMAL EXPANSION TESTS. Research Report No. 4316

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4061032
Tests were conducted to determine the friction factor of randomly packed beds of 3/4-in.-diameter spheres in 8- and 15 1/4-in.-diameter beds, and of 1 1/2- in.-diameter spheres in a 15 1/4-in.-diameter bed. The bed depths were varied in an attempt to isolats the effects of entrance and exit losses. The bed Reynolds number, based on sphere diameter, was variad from 5000 to 5O,OOO. The fricticn factor values obtained were essentially straight lines of practically zero slope when plotted against Reynolds number. There were significant differences between the friction factors for different bed arrangements which were believed to have been due to unaccount for factors, such as wall effects. Tests were rwn to observe the effects of thermal expansion of a randomly packed bed of spheres in a cylindrical container. A 16-in.-diameter bed was filled to a depth of 18 in. with l 1/2-in.-diameter coated graphite spheres. This bed was cycled between ambient temperature and 15OO deg F for 12 cycles, the bed depth being measured in the cold and hot condition for each cycle. Because many of the balls were partially burned up due to failure of the sillcon-carbide coating, the bed height showed a continuous decline and, for this reason, no conclusions about thermal expansion could be made from the readings taken. (auth)
Research Organization:
Babcock & Wilcox Co. Research Center, Alliance, Ohio
NSA Number:
NSA-15-013055
OSTI ID:
4061032
Report Number(s):
NYO-9069
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English