EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF HEAT REJECTION PROBLEMS IN NUCLEAR SPACE POWERPLANTS. VOLUME 1. EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF HYDRODYNAMIC LOSSES IN MANIFOLDS. Period Covered: June 1, 1962 throughMay 31, 1963

Technical Report · Sat Oct 31 00:00:00 EST 1964

OSTI ID:4131950

Ornstein, H L; Kunz, H R

Two-phase flow experiments were conducted using airwater mixtures to obtain data concerning pressure loss and flow distribution in radiators of direct- condensing Rankinecycle space powerplants. The areas of study were the inlet manifold pressure drops, the manifold-to-branch pressure losses, and two-phase distribution of the flow among the branch tubes. Fourteen branch-tube inlet configurations were evaluated using single branch tubes. Two of the configurations were tested in multibranch arrangements using four in-line tubes. The effect of manifold taper was investigated. The flow in the inlet manifold was vertically downward and the branches were horizontal except for two which were at a 30-degree angle with the manifold. Manifold inlet water flow was varied from 0 to 15 per cent by weight of the inlet air flow. Other variables were: iniet manifold Mach number, 0.1 to 0.4; pressure level, 25 to 35 psia; manifold two-phase flow pattern, mist and annular; and branch-to-manifold air velocity ratio 0.25 to 3.8. The static pressure drops in the manifold in the region of a branch tube and manifold-to-branch total pressure losses were correlated in dimensionless form useful for design calculations. At a given air flow, the effect of two-phase flow was found to be only slight on the manifold- stream pressure drops but resulted in an increase in the branch inlet losses. Both of these effects were found to be insensitive to the manifold two-phase flow patterns. A comparison of branch-inlet pressure losses for inlets that did not protrude into the manifold indicated that these losses could be greatly reduced by rounding the inlet corner. For inlets that protruded into the manifold, branch-inlet pressure losses were increased and manifold-stream pressure drops were reduced as branch protrusion decreased. The distribution of the air between the four branches was found to be virtually unaffected by the presence of liquid and the manifold two-phase flow pattern. The liquid distribution between multiple branches, however, was found to be strongly dependent upon the two-phase flow pattern in the manifold. Greater uniformity of liquid-flow distribution between multiple branches was found possible at some flow conditions by the introduction of swirl into the flow in the manifold. A tapered manifold, which provided good air-flow distribution into four rounded inlet branch tubes perpendicular to the manifold, gave good water-flow distribution for an annular two-phase flow pattern upstream of the swirl-generating device. This combination is thought to be the best of those tested when the factors of pressure loss, flow distribution, and fabrication are considered. (auth)

• Research Organization: Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Div., United Aircraft Corp., Hartford, Conn.
• DOE Contract Number: NAS3-2335
• NSA Number: NSA-18-003299
• OSTI ID: 4131950
• Report Number(s): WA-2227(Vol. 1)
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
AIR
CONDENSERS
DISTRIBUTION
FABRICATION
FINS
FLUID FLOW
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT TRANSFER
LIQUID FLOW
LOSSES
MEASURED VALUES
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MIXING
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
PIPES
POWER PLANTS
PRESSURE
RANKINE CYCLE
REFLECTORS
SPACE
THERMAL RADIATION
THERMODYNAMICS
VELOCITY
WATER
WEIGHT