Experiment of Natural Circulation Loop Using a Cryocooler

극저온냉동기를 이용한 자연순환 루프의 실험

An experimental study is performed to investigate the thermal and flow characteristics of subcooled liquid nitrogen in a natural circulation loop. Experimental apparatus is designed and constructed such that a closed loop is cooled at the top by a cryocooler and heated nearly at the bottom by cartridge heaters. Steady state is obtained by controlling the heating power to the cartridge heaters and a thin-film heater to reduce the cooling power of the cryocooler. Temperature is measured at several locations of the loop and the mass flow rate through the loop is estimated from the energy balance in terms of the measured temperatures. Experiment is repeated for various values of the vertical height between the cooling and heating parts. The results show that the heat transfer capability of the loop has a maximum at a certain value of height. The optimal height to maximize the heat transfer is in a good agreement with analytical prediction to take into account the buoyancy and viscous forces in the loop.