Parametric Study of a Thermosyphon

Problem

Determine what parameters effect the heat transfer and fluid flow in a "U-shaped" thermosyphon. This configuration represented a scheme that was being used for the storage of spent nuclear fuel. Traditional analysis methods relied heavily on Reynolds number correlations for passive heat removal, rather than on Raleigh number correlations. The geometry of problem is shown in figure 1.

Figure 1

Expert Solution

Develop a two-dimensional model to analyze the performance of a "U-shaped" thermosyphon over a range of operating conditions. The flow along the heated surface was boundary layer in nature, and the heat transfer off of this surface at higher Ra could be approximated as heat transfer from a vertical flat plate. As shown in the plot in figure 2, the Nu for this system approaches the Nu for a vertical flat plate. The study allows passive heat removal systems to be designed through the use of simple engineering calculations, rather than complex 2-D or 3-D computations. Figure 2 shows the results of the numerical study.

Figure 2

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