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Heat transfer limitations on nuclear reactor fuel elements
Author(s) -
Rogers J. T.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450440509
Subject(s) - coolant , nucleate boiling , critical heat flux , boiling , nuclear engineering , heat transfer , materials science , fuel element failure , heat flux , nuclear reactor , thermodynamics , engineering , physics
Limitations on heat transfer rates on fuel elements in Canadian heavy‐water‐moderated reactors are examined. With organic coolant in simple flow geometries, heat fluxes are limited by departure from nucleate boiling, (DNB); in simulated fuel bundles the failure mechanism can be either localized DNB, or coke‐out, the formation, deposition and rapid growth of coolant decomposition products on heated surfaces. With boiling light water coolant, critical heat flux (CHF) is caused by DNB at low qualities and by dry‐out at higher qualities. Parameters governing CHF in tubes and annuli are fairly well established. Data for fuel bundles are becoming available. Methods of increasing CHF and of rationally setting margins of safety on CHF are being developed.