Cryogenic analysis of liquid hydrogen flow through the HFIR cold source

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:678167

Wendel, M W; Lucas, A T; Williams, P T ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

In 1995 a project was initiated to design, test, and install a cold neutron source facility in the High-Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Initial feasibility studies demonstrated that a cold source could be retrofitted into an existing HFIR beam tube providing a small but very bright cold neutron beam. This cold neutron beam would be comparable, in cold neutron brightness, to the best facilities in the world. Supercritical hydrogen (LH2) at cryogenic temperature serves as both the medium for neutron moderation and the working fluid for removal of heat generated internally due to neutron and gamma bombardment of both the moderator vessel and the hydrogen cryogen itself. Because of the high heat loads experienced by the cold source, multidimensional thermal-hydraulic analyses of the moderator vessel are a critical design subtask. A previous analysis of the reference design concept was used to redesign the moderator vessel. Also, the orientation of the vessel was changed so that the inlet and outlet lie on the horizontal midplane with the inlet located farther from the core. Herein the authors provide an update for the numerical thermal-hydraulic studies that have recently been completed for the final design of the HFIR cold source moderator.

• OSTI ID: 678167
• Report Number(s): CONF-990605--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 80; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
COLD NEUTRONS
CRYOGENICS
HEAT TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
HFIR REACTOR
HYDRAULICS
HYDROGEN
MODERATORS
NEUTRON SOURCES
REACTOR EXPERIMENTAL FACILITIES
RETROFITTING
SUPERCRITICAL STATE