Natural circulation FLiBe loop overview

Britsch, Karl; Anderson, Mark; Brooks, Paul; Sridharan, Kumar

doi:10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2018.12.180

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Natural circulation FLiBe loop overview

Britsch, Karl·Anderson, Mark·Brooks, Paul·Sridharan, Kumar

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Abstract

A new large natural circulation FLiBe loop has operated for the first time in 40 years. Reaching temperatures above 700 C with stable flow rates around 5 cm/s, the loop exhibits a range of flow phenomena pertinent to high temperature natural circulation safety systems for nuclear reactors. This paper discusses the system and several operating conditions spanning a wide range of behavior to aid the development of other systems, simulation benchmarks, or system-codes. Analysis of heat transport phenomena indicates that standard Nusselt number correlations apply to a first approximation. More accurate salt-freezing models may be necessary for air-cooled salt-systems due to the insulating affect of the low thermal-conductivity frozen salt layer on the cold pipe walls.

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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS 42 ENGINEERING 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Flibe Flow loop Heat transfer Molten salt Natural circulation

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Britsch, Karl, Anderson, Mark, Brooks, Paul, Sridharan, Kumar. 2019-01-29. Natural circulation FLiBe loop overview. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2018.12.180

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