An experiment was conducted to determine the feasibility of using the break¬ing of a siphon as a quick-acting means for stopping sodium flow following a loss of pump power. A 2-in. pipe system with a high-speed free-surface centrifugal pump was used in this investigation. Runs were made with sodium at 500 and 940*F, cover gas at various pressures up to 10 psig, and Reynolds numbers up to approximately 360,000. The siphon-break was established as an effective method for rapid flow stoppage;however, a brief reversal of flow follows the initial flow stoppage. An expression for the flow transient following the breaking of the siphon was derived which agreed reasonably well with experimental results.
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