Visualization and analysis of flow in an offset channel

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Journal of Heat Transfer (Transactions of the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), Series C); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2911888· OSTI ID:5735226

Walter, J A; Chen, C J ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City (United States)

This paper investigates flow characteristics for a benchmark experiment that is important for thermal hydraulic phenomena in nuclear power plant design. The flow visualization experiment is carried out for flow in a rectangular offset channel covering both the laminar and turbulent flow regimes. The Reynolds number, based on the inlet velocity and the height of the inlet channel, ranges from 25 to 4600. The offset channel is an idealized thermal hydraulic geometry. Duct flow expands in a rectangular chamber and exits to a duct that is offset from the entrance duct. The offset geometry creates zones of recirculation for thermal-hydraulic mixing. Flow patterns are visualized by a laser light sheet in the symmetry plane of the primary flow direction and in three cross-sectional planes. A charge-coupled device (CCD) images the flow field, simplifying the experimental process and subsequent image analyses. The flow pattern and size of the recirculation zones change dramatically with Reynolds number until the flow is fully turbulent. While the velocity field itself is predominantly two dimensional, it is shown that the walls of the chamber produce a fully three-dimensional flow that could not be predicted properly by a two-dimensional calculation. Quantitative measurements of particle path lines from several images are superimposed to give a composite view of the velocity field at one of the Reynolds numbers examined. 10 refs., 15 figs.

• OSTI ID: 5735226
• Journal Information: Journal of Heat Transfer (Transactions of the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), Series C); (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Heat Transfer (Transactions of the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), Series C); (United States) Vol. 114:4; ISSN 0022-1481; ISSN JHTRAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220100 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Theory & Calculation
42 ENGINEERING
420400* -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
BENCHMARKS
CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES
FLOW VISUALIZATION
FLUID FLOW
IMAGE PROCESSING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
POWER PLANTS
PROCESSING
REACTOR CHANNELS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REYNOLDS NUMBER
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
THERMAL ANALYSIS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TURBULENT FLOW