RESULTS OF COLD FLOW PERFORMANCE TESTS ON A 1/4-SCALE HTRE 3 REACTOR-SHIELD MOCKUP

Technical Report · Tue Apr 19 04:00:00 EST 1960

OSTI ID:4808426

Harper, P W; Habel, L W

An experimental investigation was made using air at ambient temperature to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of an approximately 1/4-scale model of HTRE 3. A combination of front and rear plug geometries was developed that produced a reactor flow distribution that was within plus or minus 2.5% of being constant in a radial direction. No circumferential variations in reactor flow were noted which could be attributed to the front plug inlet scroll with either 1 or 2 engine operation. Of the four front plug configurations tested, the one most simllar to the HTRE 3 desigm, had the lowest total pressure loss. Two rear plug configurations were found unacceptable from the standpoint of both reactor flow distribution and pressure loss. A third rear plug configuration, which was chosen for the HTRE 3 design, had little effect on the reactor flow distribution produced by the front plug. In addition, the rear plug used for HTRE 3 had only about 53% of the total pressure loss of the better of the other two rear plug configurations. Several low speed runs made to determine reactor aftercooling performance indicated no significant flow deviations in the reactor flow distribution at tube Reynolds numbers approaching laminar conditions. (auth)

• Research Organization: General Electric Co. Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Dept., Cincinnati
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-171
• NSA Number: NSA-16-023264
• OSTI ID: 4808426
• Report Number(s): DC-60-5-112
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AERODYNAMICS
AIR
CONFIGURATION
COOLING
DISTRIBUTION
GAS FLOW
HTRE-3
LIQUID FLOW
MOCKUP
PERFORMANCE
POWER PLANTS
PRESSURE
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
SHIELDING
TESTING
VARIATIONS
VELOCITY