Experimental Determination of the Thermal Accommodation Coefficient for Helium on a Stainless Steel Surface Using a Concentric Cylinders Apparatus
Loading...
Authors
Zampella, Cody
Issue Date
2019
Type
Thesis
Language
Keywords
Dry Helium , Moist Helium , Rarefied Gas , Temperature Jump Coefficient , Thermal Accommodation Coefficient , Water Vapor
Alternative Title
Abstract
Vacuum drying of nuclear fuel canisters may cause the temperature of fuel assemblies to considerably increase due to the effect of gas rarefaction at low pressures. This effect may induce a temperature-jump at the gas-solid interfaces. It is important to predict the temperature-jump at these interfaces to accurately estimate the maximum temperature of the fuel assemblies during vacuum drying.The objective of this work is to set up a concentric cylinder experimental apparatus that can acquire data to benchmark rarefied gas heat transfer simulations and determine the thermal accommodation coefficient at the interface between stainless-steel surfaces and helium gas. The thermal accommodation coefficient is used to characterize the temperature-jump at the interface, and is determined by measuring the temperature difference and heat flux across a 2-mm gap between the concentric cylinders that contains rarefied helium and compare the results to analytical calculations in the slip rarefaction regime.