Program ELM: A tool for rapid thermal-hydraulic analysis of solid-core nuclear rocket fuel elements
This report reviews the state of the art of thermal-hydraulic analysis codes and presents a new code, Program ELM, for analysis of fuel elements. ELM is a concise computational tool for modeling the steady-state thermal-hydraulics of propellant flow through fuel element coolant channels in a nuclear thermal rocket reactor with axial coolant passages. The program was developed as a tool to swiftly evaluate various heat transfer coefficient and friction factor correlations generated for turbulent pipe flow with heat addition which have been used in previous programs. Thus, a consistent comparison of these correlations was performed, as well as a comparison with data from the NRX reactor experiments from the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications (NERVA) project. This report describes the ELM Program algorithm, input/output, and validation efforts and provides a listing of the code.
- Research Organization:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (United States). Lewis Research Center
- OSTI ID:
- 6922303
- Report Number(s):
- N-93-19106; NASA-TM-105867; E-7330; NAS-1.15:105867; CNN: RTOP 593-71-00
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
FUEL ELEMENTS
E CODES
HYDRAULICS
THERMAL ANALYSIS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
COOLANTS
COOLING SYSTEMS
CORRELATIONS
FRICTION FACTOR
HEAT TRANSFER
NRX REACTOR
NUCLEAR FUELS
PROPULSION
THERMAL REACTORS
TURBULENT FLOW
VALIDATION
COMPUTER CODES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
FUELS
HEAVY WATER COOLED REACTORS
HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTORS
IRRADIATION REACTORS
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION REACTORS
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS
MECHANICS
MOBILE REACTORS
NATURAL URANIUM REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
PROPULSION REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
TANK TYPE REACTORS
TESTING
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable