NATURAL CIRCULATION LOOP PERFORMANCE AT 1000 PSIA UNDER PERIODIC ACCELERATIONS. PART I. INITIAL EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS. PART II. ANALOG PREDICTION OF FLOW CHARACTERISTICS

Technical Report · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1960

OSTI ID:4842981

Quinn, E P; Case, J M

Initial experimental and analog results were obtained from a study of the effect of shipboard disturbances on the heat transfer and fluid flow performance of boiling water reactors. The experimental part of the program was con ducted employing a single element, electrically heated, simulated reactor model. The natural circulation model was subjected to pendulum type and constant accelerations for a total of 35 test conditions. Amplitudes of motion were from 0 to 40 degrees about the vertical for frequencies of 0 to 1/2 cycles per second. The accelerations ranged in magnitude from 0.7 to 1.7 g. The span of thermodynamic conditions at 1000 psia were heat fluxes of 200,000 to 500,000 Btu/ br ft/sup 2/, subcoolings of 60 to 200 Btu/lb, and qualities of 6 to 60%. Variations due to motion extend from about 10 to 60% of the average flow for acceleration oscillations of 10 to 50%. A correlation of these variations was proposed on the basis of an average driving pressure, which may reduce the experimental investigation to stationary testing. Hydraulic instability was not observed during this part of the program. Thresholds of instability under varying accelerations remain to be investigated, but based on initial data they do not appear to be unexpectedly affected by ship's motion. Three burnout tests were performed. Based on this, the motion does not appear to pose a problem. Fluctuations of heating element temperature, which were found to be related to the motion, occurred before burnout. Oscillating operation at heat fluxes below 350,000 Btu/hr ft2 with qualities below 32% indicated steady heater temperatures and no tendency toward burnout. An analog computer model, based on descriptive equations, was used to predict reactor behavior under periodic variations in acceleration. Three comparisons were made between the analog results and experimental observations. Qualitatively, this analytical model predicts the observed flow behavior and stability. The mean deviation from the measured flow characteristics was 4% high. The initial satisfactory comparison between the tests and simplified analog model tended to increase confidence in the ability to analytically predict the effects of ship's motion on reactor circulation. (auth)

• Research Organization: General Electric Co. Atomic Power Equipment Dept., San Jose, Calif.
• NSA Number: NSA-15-029354
• OSTI ID: 4842981
• Report Number(s): GEAP-3397(Rev. 1)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANALOG SYSTEMS
BOILING
BURNOUT
COMPUTERS
COOLING
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRICITY
ENGINEERING AND EQUIPMENT
EQUATIONS
FLUID FLOW
FREQUENCY
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
HYDRAULICS
MATHEMATICS
MOCKUP
MOTION
PERFORMANCE
PRESSURE
REACTORS
STABILITY
STANDARDS
STEAM
STEAM QUALITY
SUBCOOLING
TESTING
THERMODYNAMICS
TUBES
VARIATIONS
VELOCITY
VIBRATIONS
WATER COOLANT
WATER MODERATOR