| dc.description.abstract | As we push towards a reduction of carbon emissions without sacrificing reliability and safety, advanced applications of molten-salt technology are currently being considered for use. Many previous studies have focused on the physical properties of the salts along with the heat-transfer characteristics, but in this work for the first time flow visualization techniques will be applied to a flowing molten salt system. High-fidelity flow visualization measurements are used to provide local fluid flow behavior. Laser based visualization techniques, such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), are utilized to generate spatially-resolved fluid velocity profiles, and other local parameters. High-fidelity experimental data is also important to validate advanced computational tools, and to substantiate existing empirical models. Various molten salt compositions are being considered for use in advanced energy production systems such as solar, thermal energy storage, and nuclear power. Due to the extremely high operating temperature of molten-salt systems, the application of laser- based visualization techniques is very challenging. In this work, local flow velocity measurements were successfully conducted for FLiNaK molten salt in a natural circulation flow loop operating at 650°C. In addition to PIV, temperatures of the liquid salt and pipe walls were recorded by a series of thermocouples located at different location within the test section. Two-dimensional fluid velocity profiles were generated, and along with temperature data, used to calculate important fluid parameters. To the authors knowledge, this work is first of a kind, and demonstrates the applicability of laser-based flow visualization techniques in high-temperature environments typical of molten salt systems. | |
