Preliminary Tests at the University of Ottawa Supercritical CO₂ Heat Transfer Facility

Abstract

This article describes the new supercritical heat transfer test facility that has been constructed at the University of Ottawa and preliminary tests for its commissioning. The facility uses CO₂ as a mediumand has three test sections: a tube with an 8 mm ID, to serve as a reference for comparisons with literature, a second tube with a 22 mm ID, and a rod bundle. The facility is designed for tests in the ranges of pressure, heat flux and mass flux that correspond to normal, enhanced and deteriorated heat transfer under conditions relevant to supercritical water cooled reactor designs. Some preliminary measurements of the heat transfer coefficient under subcritical and supercritical conditions in the 8 mm tube are presented and compared to representative correlations. This article also discusses plans for heat transfer measurements in the rod bundle and measurements of turbulence properties and temperature fluctuations using hot- and cold-wire probes in the 22 mm tube.