Experimental Study on Heat Transfer Characteristics of Supercritical CO2 under Natural Circulation Loop

  • HONG Rui ,
  • YUAN Baoqiang ,
  • DU Wenjing
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  • School of Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Ji’nan 250061, China

Online published: 2025-05-06

Copyright

Science Press, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025

Abstract

The heat transfer characteristics of supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) based on natural circulation loop (NCL) are investigated experimentally. A comprehensive analysis is conducted on the impact of single-factor variations in inlet temperature, heat flux, operating pressure, and mass flux on the heat transfer characteristics of SCO2. The results indicate that heat transfer deterioration (HTD) more easily occurs when the inlet temperature exceeds the pseudo-critical temperature. Moreover, the peak of deterioration shifts upstream in the heated section with the increase of heat flux. The inner wall temperature rises with an increase in operating pressure, while it falls with the increase of mass flux. Through an exhaustive analysis of the buoyancy parameter Bo*, it is deduced that buoyancy effect exerts a pivotal influence on the heat transfer process. An improved buoyancy parameter   is proposed, enabling precise anticipation of variations in heat transfer coefficients under both normal and deteriorated heat transfer scenarios. Based on experimental data, a novel heat transfer correlation suitable for SCO2 heat transfer in natural circulation is proposed. This new correlation exhibits a more satisfactory predictive accuracy compared to previous correlations; 98.31% and 76.58% of the new correlation predictions under normal heat transfer (NHT) and HTD are within ±20% error range. The research results have significant guiding implications for theoretical research and prediction correlation of HTD phenomenon. This establishes the theoretical groundwork for the implementation of SCO2 natural circulation in Fourth Generation Nuclear Reactors.

Cite this article

HONG Rui , YUAN Baoqiang , DU Wenjing . Experimental Study on Heat Transfer Characteristics of Supercritical CO2 under Natural Circulation Loop[J]. Journal of Thermal Science, 2025 , 34(3) : 1073 -1090 . DOI: 10.1007/s11630-025-2127-0

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