1. fw is predicted to decrease from the tube entrance and
approach a fully-developed value. The transition phenomenon
from the flow developing condition to the fully-developed
conditions could be simulated. The predicted values of fw,N
correspond well with the Blasius correlation calculation results
for a range of Rein numbers for the FLiNaK salt.
2. Similar to the trend of fw, a significant decrease in the Nu
number near the inlet region (x=D < w10) is also observed.
Compared with the experimental data for the FLiNaK salt, the
present CFD predicted NuN show good agreement under
various Rein number. This correspondence reveals that the CFD
methodology is applicable for investigating the thermal characteristics
of FLiNaK salt.
3. Good agreement with experimental data also reveals that the
present CFD model can be used to investigate the applicability of
different correlations in calculating the Nu number for the FLi-
NaK salt. Comparisons of the Nu number values show that
Gnielinski’s correlation is more suitable for calculating the heat
transfer characteristics of FLiNaK salt than Hausen’s correlation.