AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF CLOSED LOOP TWO-PHASE THERMOSYPHON FOR SPENT FUEL POOL PASSIVE COOLING

The study reported here examined a closed loop two-phase thermosyphon (CLTPT) of evaporator length 7.6m and internal diameter 65mm used to cool the spent fuel pool. This experimental study investigates the thermal performances and heat and mass transfer characteristic of CLTPT by examining the thermodynamic cycles and overall thermal resistances with ammonia, R134a and water as the working fluid. Measurements of temperature and pressure distributions of the fluid around the loop were made under various conditions. Results show that this loop operates with low filling ratio, low mass flow rate, and high heat-transfer coefficient and the CLTPT has the ability to cool the spent fuel pool. The working fluid flowing through the heat pipe evaporator section generally experienced a subcooled zone, pool boiling zone and high gas quality two-phase region. The average heat transfer coefficient of evaporator reaches 450 W/m(2).degrees C using R134a as working fluid. The thermal resistance of R134a is always smaller than ammonia but the thermal resistance of water is largest at small temperature difference while is smallest when temperature difference is large.