Measurement of Heat and Momentum Eddy Diffusivities in Recirculating LMFBR Outlet Plenum Flows

摘要

An optical technique has been developed for the measurement of the eddy diffusivity of heat in a transparent flowing medium. The method uses a combination of two established measurement tools: a Mach-Zehnder interferometer for the monitoring of turbulently fluctuating temperature and a Laser Doppler Anemometer (LDA) for the measurement of turbulent velocity fluctuations. The technique is applied to the investigation of flow fields characteristic of the LMFBR outlet plenum. The study is accomplished using air as the working fluid in a small scale Plexiglas test section. Lows are introduced into both the exp 1 / sub 15 scale FFTF outlet plenum and the exp 3 / sub 80 scale CRBR geometry plenum at inlet Reynolds numbers of 22,000. Measurements of the eddy diffusivity of heat and the eddy diffusivity of momentum are performed at a total of 11 measurement stations. Significant differences of the turbulence parameters are found between the two geometries, and the higher chimney structure of the CRBR case is found to be the major cause of the distinction. Spectral intensity studies of the fluctuating electronic analog signals of velocity and temperature are also performed. Error analysis of the overall technique indicates an experimental error of 10% in the determination of the eddy diffusivity of heat and 6% in the evaluation of turbulent momentum viscosity. In general it is seen that the turbulence in the cases observed is not isotropic, and use of isotropic turbulent heat and momentum diffusivities in transport modelling would not be a valid procedure. (ERA citation 04:010329)