Influence of pressure drops on the behavior of a single-phase natural circulation loop: Preliminary results

Single phase natural circulation is of interest in various energy systems, including solar heaters, nuclear reactors, geothermal power production, engine and computer cooling. Thepresent paper deals with an experimental study on the influence of pressure drops on the behavior of a single-phase natural circulation loop. In a simple rectangular loop (MTT-1) located at DITEC, three series of tests have been carried out, with localized pressure drops (orifices of 6 mm, 10 mm and 14 mm diameter in the vertical legs) and different power levels. The experimental data are analyzed and compared with previous results obtained with smooth pipes, demonstrating the stabilizing effect of the pressure drops on the overall behavior of the loop.