Experimental Validation of Flow Uniformity Improvement by a Perforated Plate in the Heat Exchanger of SFR Steam Generator

Myung-Ho Kim, Nguyen Van Toan, Sunghyuk Im, Yohan Jung, Sun-Rock Choi and Byoung-Jae Kim
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Myung-Ho Kim: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Nguyen Van Toan: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Sunghyuk Im: Center for Thermometry and Fluid Flow Metrology, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, 267 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113, Korea
Yohan Jung: Versatile Reactor Technology Development Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111 Daedeock-daero, 989 beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34057, Korea
Sun-Rock Choi: Versatile Reactor Technology Development Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111 Daedeock-daero, 989 beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34057, Korea
Byoung-Jae Kim: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 18, 1-17

Abstract: The steam generator in a nuclear power plant is a type of heat exchanger in which heat transfer occurs from the hot fluid in multiple channels to the cold fluid. Therefore, a uniform flow over multiple channels is necessary to improve heat exchanger efficiency. The study aims at experimentally investigating the improvement of flow uniformity by the perforated plate in the heat exchanger used for a sodium-cooled fast reactor stream generator. A 1/4-scale experimental model for one heat exchanger unit with 33 × 66 channels was manufactured. The working fluid was water. A perforated plate was systematically designed using numerical simulations to improve the flow uniformity over the 33 × 66 channels. As a result, the flow uniformity greatly improved at a slight cost of pressure drop. To validate the numerical results, planar particle image velocimetry measurements were performed on the selected planes in the inlet and outlet headers. The experimental velocity profiles near the exits of the channels were compared with numerical simulation data. The experimental profiles agreed with the numerical data well. Both the numerical simulation and the experimental results showed a slight increase in pressure drop, despite significant improvement in the flow uniformity.

Keywords: flow uniformity; heat exchanger; perforated plate; sodium-cooled fast reactor; steam generator (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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