Analysis of bubble growth and boiling heat transfer for liquid metals in magnetic fields

Thesis/Dissertation · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:6004628

Wong, C P.C.

To increase heat transfer and reduce pumping losses, boiling potassium has been proposed as a heat transfer medium in the blanket of fusion power reactors. However, the presence of the magnetic field may alter the boiling process due to the presence of Lorentz forces. An analytical study of an isolated bubble growing in a superheated liquid metal under a uniform magnetic field was made by numerically solving the equations of motion. The results show that in the presence of a strong magnetic field the bubble growth would become increasingly elongated in shape and the volume would be less than that of the non-magnetic case. The single bubble results were then used to estimate the nucleate boiling heat transfer of potassium under a uniform magnetic field. The results show that the presence of a strong magnetic field would shift the nucleate boiling curve to the right, i.e., for the same heat flux, a larger liquid superheat would be required. An estimate of burnout heat flux was performed by considering qualitatively the Taylor and Helmholtz instabilities. For potassium, the estimate suggests the presence of a magnetic field may have an effect on critical heat flux.

• OSTI ID: 6004628
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420400* -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
ALKALI METALS
BOILING
BUBBLE GROWTH
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER
MAGNETIC FIELDS
METALS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POTASSIUM