Study on Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Different States of Water Under Natural Circulation

Author(s):  
Zhongyun Ju ◽  
Tao Zhou ◽  
Jingjing Li ◽  
Zejun Xiao

Software CFX is used to build a typical natural circulation loop to study flow and heat transfer characteristics of water vapor, the vapor-liquid two-phase and supercritical water under natural circulation. During the process of natural circulation, the variation of parameters, heat transfer coefficient and mass flow is compared. It is found that when formed a natural circulation, the steam has a lower mass flow and heat transfer coefficient, while the two parameters of two-phase and supercritical water are higher. Indicates that the heat transfer capability of steam is weak, the steam cannot transfer heat out opportunely when serious accidents take place. The two-phase water is of high heat transfer coefficient. Supercritical water is of strong exchange capacity, supercritical water under natural circulation is a promising flow pattern.

Author(s):  
Qiang Wang ◽  
Puzhen Gao ◽  
Xianbing Chen ◽  
Zhongyi Wang ◽  
Ying Huang

Natural circulation served as an indispensable part of nuclear, attracted much more attentions in recent years. It does not need a pump to provide power. The operating principle of natural circulation caused its complexity in analysis process. It was still a difficult issue to reveal the law of natural circulation accurately. Many experiments and calculations had to be conducted to study the basic physical regulation. This paper concentrated upon the heat transfer characteristics in the test section with two different types of heat flux distribution. The two types of heating flux distribution in the test section were linear and chopped cosine along axial direction. Based on a natural circulation experimental facility, physical models and mathematic models were established. RELAP5 code was used to calculate the thermal hydraulic state of natural circulation loop. The variation of heat transfer coefficient along flow direction was different. It was tightly related to heat flux. Some relevant experiments were conducted in many different conditions and steady sate experimental data were achieved to verified theoretical calculations. Experimental data, such as water temperature, wall temperature and flow rate were recorded when the system is stable. The heat transfer coefficients were calculated according to the experimental data. The factors that affected the heat transfer characteristics of natural circulation were analyzed by comparing the heat transfer coefficient under different conditions. The heat transfer coefficient was calculated according to the empirical correlations as well. After a series of analysis, the results indicated heat transfer coefficient had an obvious difference, which influenced ability of natural circulation. Comparing with experimental data, the evaluation of different empirical correlations was conducted in two test sections. Some empirical correlations turned out to be suitable for the estimation of heat transfer in experiment facility. The increase of heat flux could enhance heat transfer process in the two test section under low pressure. Average heat transfer coefficient increased with the decrease of inlet subcooling degree. The system pressure effected the heat transfer characteristics of natural circulation as well. The increase of mass flux would promote heat transfer while the level was different. RELAP5 had a great agreement with experimental data in single phase flow. Natural circulation ability was influenced by the position of average heat source center, which was slightly different in the research objects. The research would lend strong empirical support to the guideline of experiment and subsequence study in natural circulation.


Author(s):  
Peng Xu ◽  
Tao Zhou ◽  
Jialei Zhang ◽  
Juan Chen ◽  
Zhongguan Fu

Abstract There are many factors that can affect the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of supercritical water in forced and natural circulation. The correlation between the factors with the HTC under different circulation modes has an important influence on the reactor core design. By extracting the experimental data of supercritical water in forced circulation and natural circulation, the grey correlation model was used to analyze the relational degree between these factors with HTC. The results show that: Under the condition of forced circulation, there is a positive correlation between the inlet temperature, mass flow velocity, the thickness of the grid body with the HTC of supercritical water, and the order is: mass flow velocity > inlet temperature > the thickness of the grid body; there is a negative correlation between the pressure, heat flux with the heat transfer coefficient of supercritical water, and the order is: pressure > heat flux. Under the condition of natural circulation, there is a positively correlation between heating power, inlet temperature and circulation flow rate with HTC, and the order of magnitude is: circulation flow rate > heating power > inlet temperature; diameter and pressure are negatively correlated with heat transfer coefficient, and the order of magnitude is: pressure > diameter. In the two circulation modes, mass flow rate is an important factor affecting the heat transfer capacity of supercritical water, while the effect of heat flux on the heat transfer coefficient is contrary.


2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guan-Min Zhang ◽  
Mao-Cheng Tian ◽  
Nai-Xiang Zhou ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
David Kukulka

Numerical simulations and experimental study were carried out to investigate the flow and heat transfer characteristics of air flowing across different types of oval-shaped cylinders, for Reynolds numbers varying from 4000 to 50,000. These cylinders have axis ratios, ε, of 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, and 5 with the major axis parallel to the free-stream. Numerical results show the closer the distance to mainstream, the smaller the local velocity gradient is. The angular position of the minimum value of Cp decreases as ε decreases and the maximum value of Cf gradually increases with ε increasing. Oval-shaped cylinders have a higher favorable pressure gradient at the front of the cylinder and a lower adverse pressure gradient at the back of the cylinder for flows in inhibiting separation. Empirical correlations for each tube have been obtained by numerical simulation relating the dimensionless heat transfer coefficient with the Reynolds Number and Prandtl Number. Based on the presented results, it can be emphasized that the average heat transfer coefficient firstly increases and then decreases by increasing the axis ratio of the tube, implying that the elliptical tubes with a suitable axis ratio possess more advantages over circular tubes. Comparisons of the numerical results with the existing data verify the validation of the present study.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 751
Author(s):  
Xuefeng Gao ◽  
Yanjun Zhang ◽  
Zhongjun Hu ◽  
Yibin Huang

As fluid passes through the fracture of an enhanced geothermal system, the flow direction exhibits distinct angular relationships with the geometric profile of the rough fracture. This will inevitably affect the heat transfer characteristics in the fracture. Therefore, we established a hydro-thermal coupling model to study the influence of the fluid flow direction on the heat transfer characteristics of granite single fractures and the accuracy of the numerical model was verified by experiments. Results demonstrate a strong correlation between the distribution of the local heat transfer coefficient and the fracture morphology. A change in the flow direction is likely to alter the transfer coefficient value and does not affect the distribution characteristics along the flow path. Increasing injection flow rate has an enhanced effect. Although the heat transfer capacity in the fractured increases with the flow rate, a sharp decline in the heat extraction rate and the total heat transfer coefficient is also observed. Furthermore, the model with the smooth fracture surface in the flow direction exhibits a higher heat transfer capacity compared to that of the fracture model with varying roughness. This is attributed to the presence of fluid deflection and dominant channels.


Author(s):  
Lorenzo Cremaschi

Driven by higher energy efficiency targets and industrial needs of process intensification and miniaturization, nanofluids have been proposed in energy conversion, power generation, chemical, electronic cooling, biological, and environmental systems. In space conditioning and in cooling systems for high power density electronics, vapor compression cycles provide cooling. The working fluid is a refrigerant and oil mixture. A small amount of lubricating oil is needed to lubricate and to seal the sliding parts of the compressors. In heat exchangers the oil in excess penalizes the heat transfer and increases the flow losses: both effects are highly undesired but yet unavoidable. This paper studies the heat transfer characteristics of nanorefrigerants, a new class of nanofluids defined as refrigerant and lubricant mixtures in which nano-size particles are dispersed in the high-viscosity liquid phase. The heat transfer coefficient is strongly governed by the viscous film excess layer that resides at the wall surface. In the state-of-the-art knowledge, while nanoparticles in the refrigerant and lubricant mixtures were recently experimentally studied and yielded convective in-tube flow boiling heat transfer enhancements by as much as 101%, the interactions of nanoparticles with the mixture still pose several open questions. The model developed in this work suggested that the nanoparticles in this excess layer generate a micro-convective mass flux transverse to the flow direction that augments the thermal energy transport within the oil film in addition to the macroscopic heat conduction and fluid convection effects. The nanoparticles motion in the shearing-induced and non-uniform shear rate field is added to the motion of the nanoparticles due to their own Brownian diffusion. The augmentation of the liquid phase thermal conductivity was predicted by the developed model but alone it did not fully explain the intensification on the two-phase flow boiling heat transfer coefficient reported in previous work in the literature. Thus, additional nano- and micro-scale heat transfer intensification mechanisms were proposed.


Author(s):  
S. Kabelac ◽  
K. B. Anoop

Nanofluids are colloidal suspensions with nano-sized particles (<100nm) dispersed in a base fluid. From literature it is seen that these fluids exhibit better heat transfer characteristics. In our present work, thermal conductivity and the forced convective heat transfer coefficient of an alumina-water nanofluid is investigated. Thermal conductivity is measured by a steady state method using a Guarded Hot Plate apparatus customized for liquids. Forced convective heat transfer characteristics are evaluated with help of a test loop under constant heat flux condition. Controlled experiments under turbulent flow regime are carried out using two particle concentrations (0.5vol% and 1vol %). Experimental results show that, thermal conductivity of nanofluids increases with concentration, but the heat transfer coefficient in the turbulent regime does not exhibit any remarkable increase above measurement uncertainty.


2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. I. Haider ◽  
Yogendra K. Joshi ◽  
Wataru Nakayama

Abstract The study presents a model for the two-phase flow and heat transfer in the closed loop, two-phase thermosyphon (CLTPT) involving co-current natural circulation. Most available models deal with two-phase thermosyphons with counter-current circulation within a closed, vertical, wickless heat pipe. The present research focuses on CLTPTs for electronics cooling that face more complex two-phase flow patterns than the vertical heat pipes, due to closed loop geometry and smaller tube size. The present model is based on mass, momentum, and energy balances in the evaporator, rising tube, condenser, and the falling tube. The homogeneous two-phase flow model is used to evaluate the friction pressure drop of the two-phase flow imposed by the available gravitational head through the loop. The saturation temperature dictates both the chip temperature and the condenser heat rejection capacity. Thermodynamic constraints are applied to model the saturation temperature, which also depends upon the local heat transfer coefficient and the two-phase flow patterns inside the condenser. The boiling characteristics of the enhanced structure are used to predict the chip temperature. The model is compared with experimental data for dielectric working fluid PF-5060 and is in general agreement with the observed trends. The degradation of condensation heat transfer coefficient due to diminished vapor convective effects, and the presence of subcooled liquid in the condenser are expected to cause higher thermal resistance at low heat fluxes. The local condensation heat transfer coefficient is a major area of uncertainty.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document