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THE INTERNAL INSULATION OF REACTOR PRESSURE TUBES. I. HEAT TRANSFER STUDIES OF LAYERS OF STAGNANT WATER

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4293338

The use of thernal insulation internal in reactor pressure tubes restricts the tube-wall temoperature and thus permits the consideration of aluminum and magnesium alloys as pressure-tube moaterials. In loop experiments, stagnant water showed promoise as internal insulation. Of the two methods for suppressing corvection which were studied, the subdivision of the water into thin layers proved superior by a iactor of two on an over-all insulation basis to the addition of powder as a stabilizing structure. Experimental results confirmed that the heat transfer across a water-filled horizontal annulus by natural convection is well correlated by the equation of Kraussold. Dimpled-foil spirals are a practical method for subdividing the insulation space into layers sufficiently thin to suppress convection. (auth)

Research Organization:
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. Chalk River Project, Chalk River, Ont.
NSA Number:
NSA-13-002583
OSTI ID:
4293338
Report Number(s):
CRCE-800; AECL-687
Country of Publication:
Canada
Language:
English