Quantitative experiments on thermal hydraulic characteristics of an annular tube with twisted Fins

Ezato, Koichiro; Dairaku, Masayuki; Taniguchi, Masaki; Sato, Kazuyoshi; Suzuki, Satoshi; Akiba, Masato

Thermal hydraulic tests measuring critical heat flux CHF and pressure drop of an annular tube with twisted fin, "annular swirl tube", have been. This tube consists of two concentric tubes, the outer tube and the inner tube with a twisted fin on its outer surface. Cooling water flows inside of the inner tube first, and then returns into an annulus with a swirl flow at an end-return of the cooling tube. The CHF testing shows the no degradation of CHF of the annular swirl tube in comparison with the conventional swirl tube. A minimum axial velocity of 7.1m/sec is required for 28MW/m, the ITER design value. Applicability of the JAERI's correlation for the heat transfer to the annular swirl tube is also demonstrated by the comparison of the experimental results with those of the numerical analyses. The friction factor correlation for the annular flow with the twisted fins is made for the hydraulic designing of the vertical target. The least pressure drop at the end-return is obtained by using the hemispherical end-plug. Its radius is the same as that of ID of the outer cooling tube.