HYDRAULIC CHARACTERISTICS OF HNPF PRELIMINARY DESIGN FUEL ELEMENTS

摘要

Pressure-drop measurements were obtained for the fuel element assemblies proposed for the Hallam Nuclear Power Facility (HNPF) using water as the test fluid. Two fuel element assemblies were tested, both being of a multiple-rod type as follows:(1) a 43-rod brazed ferrule assembly, and (2) a 19-rod mechanically spaced assembly. The experimental results agreed satisfactorily with pressure-drop determinations obtained by application of the Darcy equations utilizing the equivalent diameter as a correlation parameter and standard round-pipe friction factors. The experimental friction factors agreed within ±20% with standard smooth-pipe data over the Reynolds number range of 20,000 to 150,000. The water test data were generalized for design application to the sodium coolant system.