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U.S. Department of Energy
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Effect of rod surface thermocouples on transient critical heat flux

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6558502
The purpose of the test program was to determine the effect of cladding surface thermocouples on time-to-critical heat flux (CHF) under blowdown conditions similar to those in the Loss-of-Fluid Test (LOFT) facility during a Loss-of-Coolant Experiment (LOCE). Previous steady state CHF tests indicated that cladding surface thermocouples reduce the CHF over the pressure range of 13.8 to 16.5 MPa, but have an insignificant effect on CHF near 11 MPa, where CHF would occur in pressurized water reactors (PWR) and in the LOFT facility during a blowdown. The LOFT facility is an integral nuclear reactor test facility which has been designed to simulate, as nearly as possible, all of the important effects that are anticipated to occur during a Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) in a PWR-type nuclear steam supply system. The LOFT facility utilizes special experimental instrumentation which has been located to measure the significant interacting nuclear and thermal-hydraulic process required to assess LOCA and Emergency Core Coolant System (ECCS) performance. The in-core experimental instrumentation includes thermocouples attached to the outside surfaces of the fuel rod cladding.
Research Organization:
EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-07-1570
OSTI ID:
6558502
Report Number(s):
CONF-781022-20
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English