Laminar, transition, and turbulent parallel flow pressure drop across wire-wrap-spaced rod bundles. [LMFBR]

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6495038

Engel, F C ^[1]; Markley, R A; Bishop, A A

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1. Westinghouse Advanced Reactors Div., Madison, PA

Laminar, transition, and turbulent parallel flow pressure drop across wire-wrapped hexagonal rod bundles positioned inside a duct were determined in tests using water, sodium, and air. A smooth transition region from turbulent to laminar flow that occurred over the Reynolds number range from 5000 to 400 characterized the resulting friction factor behavior. The continuous transition region could be explained in terms of the fraction of the flow area in turbulent flow. Laminar friction factors calculated from individual subchannel measurements could be correlated by the same expression found for rod-bundle-averaged conditions. Friction factor correlation functions are given for flows in the laminar range, the turbulent range, and the transition range. A general laminar flow friction factor correlation was developed which agrees satisfactorily with limited laminar flow data from rod bundles having different wire-wrap lead pitch-to-diameter ratios.

• OSTI ID: 6495038
• Journal Information: Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States) Vol. 69:2; ISSN NSENA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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