BOILING STUDIES FOR SODIUM REACTOR SAFETY. PART I. EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS AND RESULTS OF INITIAL TESTS AND ANALYSIS

Technical Report · Fri Aug 30 04:00:00 EDT 1963

OSTI ID:4654349

Noyes, R C

An experimental and analytical research program is described that is designed to meet certain specific needs for data and methods required to make improved predictions of transient voids, burnout, flow, and fuel temperature during extreme accidents in sodium-cooled reactors. Part I includes design, fabrication, and installation of experimental apparatus and preliminary experiments and theoretical analysis. Two sodium loops are described that are capable of operating in the boiling range. Special highpressure electromagnetic induction pumps are described that produce pressures up to 200 psi at 6 gpm. Discussion covers details of fabrication and testing of a new type of instrumented electric heating element capable of accurate surface temperature measurement at heat fluxes to fer coefficients measured for sodium at 1.0, 1.7, 3.0, and 8.0 psia at heat fluxes to 10/sup 6/ Btu/hr-ft/sup 2/ were found to range between 35,000 and 250,000 Btu/hr-ft/sup 2/- deg F. Measurements of burnout heat flux for sodium pool boiling at pressures between 1.0 and 8.0 psia were between 400,000 and 1,000,000 Btu/hr-ft/sup 2/ and increased approximately as the square root of pressure. Burnout measurements are correlated nondimensionally with data for other materials, and this correlation has been used to find an extrapolated value of 2,100,000 Btu/hr-ft/sup 2/ for sodium at 1 atm. The pool boiling data are used together with theoretical analysis to predict subcooled burnout for sodium and to calculate typical values of 10 or greater for the burnout margin in sodium-cooled reactors. A digital method for transient analysis of two-phase flow is outlined. (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomics International. Div. of North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, Calif.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-8
• NSA Number: NSA-17-035988
• OSTI ID: 4654349
• Report Number(s): NAA-SR-7909
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACCIDENTS
BOILING
BURNOUT
COOLING
DIGITAL SYSTEMS
ELECTRICITY
ELECTROMAGNETISM
ENGINEERING AND EQUIPMENT
EVAPORATION
FLUID FLOW
FUEL ELEMENTS
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
INDUCTION
INSTRUMENTS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LIQUID METAL COOLANT
LIQUID METALS
MEASURED VALUES
POOL BOILING
PRESSURE
PUMPS
REACTOR SAFETY
SODIUM
SUBCOOLING
SURFACES
TESTING
THERMODYNAMICS
VAPORS
VARIATIONS