Development of Friction Factor and Heat Transfer Correlation of Liquid Metal Flow in Helical Tube Bundles

There are currently few friction factor and heat transfer correlations for liquid metal flow in the shell-side of helical-coiled once-through steam generators (H-OTSG). The flow and heat transfer characteristics in H-OTSG are affected by various configuration parameters. Therefore, it is crucial to develop friction factor and Nusselt number correlations for the preliminary design of liquid metal H-OTSG. In this study, a numerical method is proposed to investigate the resistance and heat transfer characteristics of liquid metal crossflow through helical tube bundles. The effects of the coiling strategy and tube pitch on the resistance and heat transfer are analyzed in detail based on the validated numerical method. New correlations for friction factor and Nusselt number are developed based on the numerical results. This study will provide a reference for the design and safety analysis of liquid metal H-OTSG.