HEAT TRANSFER ANALYSIS OF PEBBLE BED REACTORS AND COMPARISON WITH PRISMATIC CORES

Technical Report · Mon Jun 19 04:00:00 EDT 1961

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4842983· OSTI ID:4842983

Ozisik, N; Korsmeyer, R B; Rhoden, G L

The general analytical equations relating the core-power density and the gas-film temperature drop at the fuel surface to the pnincipal reactor parameters are presented for both axial-flow and radial-flow pebble bed cores. Charts are included which show the power density and gas-film temperature drop as functions of fuel-ball diameter, pumping power-to-heat removal ratio, gas temperature rise per unit length of gas passage, and the gas pressure. The effects of voidage, system temperature and gas properties are considered along with factors causing hot spots. The effects on interior temperature of variations in the gas film heat transfer coefficient around the fuel surface were investigated. Neglecting hot spots, the power density obtainable in the prismatic core is more than four times that of the pebble bed core for equal maximum fuel temperatures. The extra degree of freedom available in design of prismatic core coolant passages permits the designer always to select a combination of parameters that is superior to the optimum combination for the pebble bed reactor. It is therefore clear that the fuel handling system, including perhaps the reactor maintenance, will have to be considerably more economical in the case of the pebble bed reactor in order for that reactor to compete with its prismatic counterpart. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
• NSA Number: NSA-15-029352
• OSTI ID: 4842983
• Report Number(s): CF-61-6-16
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BURNOUT
CONFIGURATION
CONTAMINATION
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
ELASTICITY
ENGINEERING AND EQUIPMENT
EQUATIONS
EVAPORATION
EXPANSION
FILMS
FLUID FLOW
FUEL SUSPENSIONS
GAS COOLANT
GAS FLOW
GASES
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
HOT SPOT
PEBBLE BED
PELLETS
PLANNING
POWER
PRESSURE
PUMPS
RADIOACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTORS
SPHERES
STANDARDS
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE
THERMAL STRESSES
THERMODYNAMICS
TUBES