Natural circulation FLiBe loop overview

A new large natural circulation FLiBe loop has operated for the first time in 40 years. Reaching temperatures above 700 degrees C with stable flow rates around 5 cm/s, the loop exhibits a range of flow phenomena pertinent to high temperature natural circulation safety systems for nuclear reactors. This paper discusses the system and several operating conditions spanning a wide range of behavior to aid the development of other systems, simulation benchmarks, or system-codes. Analysis of heat transport phenomena indicates that standard Nusselt number correlations apply to a first approximation. More accurate salt-freezing models may be necessary for air-cooled salt-systems due to the insulating affect of the low thermal-conductivity frozen salt layer on the cold pipe walls. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.