The results on heat transfer to supercritical water heated above the pseudocritical temperature or affected by mixed convection flowing upward and downward in vertical tubes of 6.28-mm and 9.50-mm inside diameter are presented. Supercritical water heat-transfer data were obtained at a pressure of 23.5 MPa, mass flux within the range from 250 to 2200 kg/(m2s), inlet temperature from 100 to 415°C and heat flux up to 3.2 MW/m2. Temperature regimes of the tubes cooled with supercritical water in a gaseous state (i.e., supercritical water at temperatures beyond the pseudocritical temperature) were stable and easily reproducible within a wide range of mass and heat fluxes. An analysis of the heat-transfer data for upward and downward flows enabled to determine a range of Gr/Re2 values corresponding to the maximum effect of free convection on the heat transfer. It was shown that: 1) the heat transfer coefficient at the downward flow of water can be higher by about 50% compared to that of the upward flow; and 2) the deteriorated heat-transfer regime is affected with the flow direction, i.e., at the same operating conditions, the deteriorated heat transfer may be delayed at the downward flow compared to that at the upward flow. These heat-transfer data are applicable as the reference dataset for future comparison with bundle data.

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There have been relatively few publications detailing heat transfer to supercritical water (SCW) flowing through a channel with a bundle or just with a single rod (annular channel) as compared to heat transfer to SCW in bare tubes. In the present paper, results of experimental heat transfer to SCW flowing upward in an annular channel with a heated rod equipped with four helical ribs and a 3-rod bundle (rods are also equipped with four helical ribs) are discussed. The experimental results include bulk-fluid-temperature, wall-temperature, and heat-transfer-coefficient (HTC) profiles along the heated length (485 mm) for these flow geometries. Data obtained from this study could be applicable as a reference estimation of heat transfer for future fuel-bundle designs.

The data on deteriorated transfer to supercritical water in vertical tubes and channels simulating coolant flow in fuel assemblies obtained at the same experimental setup during more than dozen of years are considered and compared with some known results of the experimental studies performed by other authors. They involve the data for vast ranges of geometry, mass velocity, heat flux rate, and pressure, in some cases for up- and downward flow, for flow with and without thermoacoustic oscillations. For the first time the data illustrating deterioration of heat transfer in the bundles of fuel elements are presented. An attempt to explain the phenomena of “inlet” peak of wall temperature is made. It is shown that temperature regimes of the tubes cooled with supercritical water in a gaseous state (i.e., at bulk temperature above the pseudocritical temperature) are close to linear, stable and easily reproducible within a wide range of mass and heat fluxes. Some requirements to the experimental setup, coolant quality, test sections etc. that should be followed in studying thermal and hydraulic parameters of supercritical coolant are analyzed.

The results of heat transfer to supercritical water flowing upward in a vertical tight 7-rod bundle consisting of tubes of 5.2-mm outside diameter and 485-mm heated length are presented. The heat-transfer data were obtained at pressures of 22.5, 24.5, and 27.5 MPa, mass flux within the range from 700 to 1500 kg/m2s, inlet temperature from 125 to 325°C, outlet temperature up to 379°C and heat flux up to 1.6 MW/m2 (heat flux rate up to 1.5 kJ/kg). Temperature regimes of the bundle cooled by supercritical water were stable and easily reproducible within the whole range of the mass and heat fluxes, even when a deteriorated heat transfer took place. The data resulted from the study could be applicable for a reference estimation of heat transfer in future designs of the fuel bundles.