INVESTIGATION OF LIQUID METAL BOILING HEAT TRANSFER

Abstract

Potassium will be boiled from the outside of a 3/8-in OD Haynes-25 tube at temperatures up to 2000 F and heat fluxes of 10 to the 6th power Btu/hr sq ft. This study is intended to obtain experimental data for the nucleate boiling of potassium at fluxes near the critical. The effect of pressure on the critical flux will be investigated. Film boiling studies employing potassium as the test fluid and sodium as the heating fluid will be conducted. Boiling will occur from a 0.200-in Nb-1% Zr disk in a 1-in Nb-1% Zr tube. A forced circulation liquid metal loop will circulate potassium at liquid flow rates up to 2 gpm. The maximum fluid temperature in the loop will be 1800 F. Potassium will be preheated to various qualities using clamshell heaters. Condensing sodium is used to boil the potassium in the test section. Fluxes of up to 10 to the 6th power Btu/hr sq ft are anticipated. Two phase flow studies will be conducted as a part of the forced circulation investigation. Pressure drop and void fraction measurements will be made for different qualities and flow rates. Loop instrumentation will be used in conjunction with the pool boiling studies. Agravic studies with mercury are scheduled. Studies will be from 1 - 20 g's with the liquid level varied to insure uniform pressures at liquid-vapor and liquid solid interfaces. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1962
Accession Number
AD0282370

Entities

People

  • C. Phillip Colver
  • Richard E. Balzhiser

Organizations

  • University of Michigan

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boiling
  • Experimental Data
  • Film Boiling
  • Flow
  • Flow Rate
  • Fluids
  • Heat Energy
  • Heat Flux
  • Heat Transfer
  • Instrumentation
  • Liquid Metals
  • Liquids
  • Measurement
  • Nucleate Boiling
  • Potassium
  • Transition Temperature
  • Two Phase Flow

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Metallurgy