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Lomperski, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Lomperski, S..

10 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Jet stability and wall impingement flow field in a thermal striping experiment

We present velocity and temperature field measurements for a 0.9 x 0.9 x 1.7 m glass tank in which two air jets at Re=10000 mix and impinge upon the lid at ambient temperature and pressure. Flow patterns are characterized across a 350 x 200 mm plane located 3 mm below the lid for two inlet geometries: 1) “extended”, in which inlet channels protrude above the tank base, and 2) “flush”, a flat base without protrusions. This minor geometry variation produced distinct changes in the lid flow field, appearing as three stagnant regions for the extended case and only one for flush. The dichotomy is attributed to system stability characteristics: jets are stable in the extended case and unstable for flush. In a separate set of nonisothermal tests, the impingement temperature field was measured for inlet temperature mismatches of 4 oC and jets near Re=10000. A 50 m-long fiber optic distributed temperature sensor positioned 2 mm below the lid measured at 1350 locations. Like the velocity fields, the temperature fields differ for the two inlet geometries: good thermal mixing for the flush case and subdued mixing for the extended case. Simulations with the spectral element code Nek5000 replicated the observed stability dichotomy, duplicating the number of stagnant regions observed in the experiment and matching their locations within ±10 mm. Simulation data suggests that flush case instability is due to interactions between jets and wall flows at the bottom of the tank. The clear flow dichotomy exhibited by this two-jet setup presents an unambiguous case to test the ability of CFD tools to predict subtle flow field changes driven by minor modifications in geometry in the context of thermal striping.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2017

Distributed temperature sensing inside a 19-rod bundle

The temperature field within a model of a sodium-cooled fast reactor fuel rod bundle was measured using Ø155 μm fiber optic distributed temperature sensors (DTS). The bundle consists of 19 electrically-heated rods Ø6.3 mm and 865 mm long. Working fluids were argon and air at atmospheric pressure and Reynolds numbers up to 300. A 20 m-long DTS was threaded through Ø1 mm capillaries wound around rods as wire-wraps. The sensor generated 173 measurements along each rod at 5 mm resolution for a total of 3300 data locations. A second DTS, 58 m long, was suspended between rods to provide 9300 fluid temperature measurements at 20 mm resolution. Such data density makes it possible to construct 3D maps of the temperature field that are beyond the reach of traditional sensors such as thermocouples. This is illustrated through a series of steady-state and transient tests. As a result, the work demonstrates the feasibility of mapping temperature within the close confines of a rod bundle at resolutions suitable for validation of computational fluid dynamics codes.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Distributed Temperature Sensing within a 19-pin Wire-Wrapped Fuel Bundle Model

It has always been difficult to measure local temperature and flow velocity within fuel bundle geometries because of their complex and compact layouts. High-resolution mapping of the flow field is especially challenging. High-resolution data is typically obtained using optical instruments but optical access to the interior regions of a bundle is severely limited. Velocity fields within fuel bundle models have been mapped with particle image velocimetry (PIV), an optical technique that employs lasers and cameras. Optical access to the bundle interior is obtained using transparent materials and matching the refractive index of the physical structures with that of the fluid. Testing is necessarily isothermal because refractive indices vary with temperature. However, the ultimate aim of such studies is understanding fluid dynamics and heat transfer within real reactors and so flow field mapping under nonisothermal conditions is of particular interest. Temperature fields can be mapped at high-resolution using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). However, as an optical technique it is unsuitable for nonisothermal liquid flows. This is due to the same sort of optical distortion that restricts PIV. It is also unsuitable for opaque fluids and setups with restricted optical access. Fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) offers a high-resolution alternative that does not rely upon imaging. A single sensor can map temperature fields at resolutions far exceeding that achievable with conventional sensors such as thermocouples. Though fiber optic sensors cannot match the spatial resolution and bandwidth of LIF, they are suitable for nonisothermal and opaque flows. And though fibers are physical probes that perturb the flow, they can be strung across complex geometries to provide data in regions lacking the optical access necessary for techniques like LIF. Distributed temperature sensing has the potential to provide fuel bundle temperature data of a type that cannot be obtained with optical methods or conventional sensors. This paper reports on preliminary results of efforts to use fiber optic distributed temperature sensors in a fuel bundle model. We are conducting a feasibility study exploring implementation issues such as strain control in the mounting configuration and signal noise associated with flow-induced vibration. We describe here the setup and present preliminary data from our first phase testing with stagnant flow. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Max Data Report Jet Stability versus Inlet Geometry

This document describes experiments investigating the effect of inlet geometry on the flow field within a glass tank where two jets mix and impinge upon the lid. The setup mimics the outlet plenum of a fast reactor where core exit flows of different temperatures can mix in ways that induce thermal cycling in neighboring structures.

Lomperski, S.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Design Report for the ½ Scale Air-Cooled RCCS Tests in the Natural convection Shutdown heat removal Test Facility (NSTF)

The Natural convection Shutdown heat removal Test Facility (NSTF) is a large scale thermal hydraulics test facility that has been built at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The facility was constructed in order to carry out highly instrumented experiments that can be used to validate the performance of passive safety systems for advanced reactor designs. The facility has principally been designed for testing of Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS) concepts that rely on natural convection cooling for either air or water-based systems. Standing 25-m in height, the facility is able to supply up to 220 kW at 21 kW/m 2 to accurately simulate the heat fluxes at the walls of a reactor pressure vessel. A suite of nearly 400 data acquisition channels, including a sophisticated fiber optic system for high density temperature measurements, guides test operations and provides data to support scaling analysis and modeling efforts. Measurements of system mass flow rate, air and surface temperatures, heat flux, humidity, and pressure differentials, among others; are part of this total generated data set. The following report provides an introduction to the top level-objectives of the program related to passively safe decay heat removal, a detailed description of the engineering specifications, design features, and dimensions of the test facility at Argonne. Specifications of the sensors and their placement on the test facility will be provided, along with a complete channel listing of the data acquisition system.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2012

Generation IV nuclear energy system initiative; air-cooled option RCCS studies and NSTF preparation

The Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS) is an important system to the passive safety case being incorporated in the overall safety strategy for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). The RCCS will be one of the new safety systems specifically designed for the next generation of nuclear power plants. In particular, it is being developed and incorporated into the proposed reactor and plant designs for the very high temperature reactor (VHTR)—a helium gas cooled nuclear plant with a thermal-spectrum reactor. The RCCS forms a passive heat sink external to the reactor, and is located within the reactor cavity/silo surrounding the metal vessel. During emergency accident conditions when all ac (alternating current) power is lost, natural convection of the RCCS coolant removes the heat radiated or naturally convected from the metal vessel wall to the inner boundary of the RCCS facing the vessel. RCCS will be a first-of-a-kind (FOAK) passive safety system for core decay heat removal when the FOAK VHTR is built.

Lomperski, S.↗
DOE OSTI2012

The MAX facility for CFD code validation

ANL has recently completed construction of a fluid dynamics test facility devised to provide validation data for CFD simulation tools used to evaluate various aspects of nuclear power plant design and safety. Experiments with the facility involve mixing air jets within a 1x1x1.7m long glass tank at atmospheric pressure. A particle image velocimetry system measures flow velocity and turbulence quantities within the tank while a high-speed infrared camera records temperatures across the tank lid. The tandem of high fidelity thermal and turbulence data is particularly useful for benchmarking transient heat transfer phenomena such as thermal striping. This paper describes the MAX facility, preliminary data obtained during shakedown tests, and the results of companion CFD calculations employing RANS-based Star-CCM+ and large eddy simulations with Nek 5000. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗