Heat-transfer characteristics of flowing and stationary particle-bed-type fusion-reactor blankets

Abstract

The heat-transfer characteristics of flowing and stationary packed-particle beds have recently become of interest in connection with conceptual designs of fusion reactor blankets. A detailed literature survey has shown that the processes taking place in such beds are not fully understood despite their widespread use in the chemical industry and other engineering disciplines for more than five decades. In this study, two experimental investigations were pursued. In the first, a heat-transfer loop was constructed through which glass microspheres were allowed to flow by rgravity at controlled rates through an electrically heated stainless steel tubular test section. In the second, an annular packed bed was constructed in which heat was applied through the outer wall by electric heating of a stainless steel tube. Cooling occurred at the inner wall of the annular bed by flowing air through the central tube. A second air stream was allowed to flow through the voids of the packed bed. An error-minimization technique was utilized in order to obtain the two-dimensional one-parameter effective conductivity for the bed by comparing the experimental and theoretically predicted temperature profiles. Experiments were conducted for various modified Reynolds numbers less than ten.

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