Logo VKI
linkedin Instagram YouTube

  • von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics

    Training in Research through Research

    Read More

  • von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics

    Education in Research through Research


    Read More

  • von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics

    Education in Research through Research


    Read More

  • von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics

    Education in Research through Research


    Read More

  • von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics

    Education in Research through Research


    Read More

  • von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics

    Education in Research through Research


    Read More

› ‹
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6

Safety Facilities

The laboratory is composed by three main facilities:

  • a cleanroom
  • a MBraun glovebox
  • a WKL34-40 climatic chamber
  • and one instrument: Thermal Analyzer STA 449 F3 Jupiter from Netzsch.

Climatic Chamber

The WEISS LABORATORY CLIMATE TEST CHAMBER TYPE WKL 34/40 is a test facility with internal dimensions 350(W)x310(D)x300(H) (mm) and can be operated continuously between 5°C (-40°C discontinuously due to ice formation) and 180°C. The chamber has a temporal temperature deviation of ±0.3 K to ±1.0 K, while the spatial deviation is ±0.5 K to ±2.0 K, both depending on the working temperature. In the same time, the humidity inside the chamber can be regulated between 10 and 95% r.h. with a maximum variance, depending on the temperature of ±1 to ±3 % r.h. in time.

 working envelope of the climatic chamber

Working envelope of the climatic chamber

Cleanroom

A facility with a work surface of 2.5m² and a height of 2m designed to work either as an ISO Class 6 cleanroom (inside gauge pressure = +35Pa and airflow speed of 0.26m/s) or as an ISO Class 4 containment enclosure (inside gauge pressure = -27Pa and airflow speed of 0.22m/s). The interior ceiling is covered with 8 ULPA filters which constitute the fresh air supply, while the air extract is composed by 2 HEPA filters at the bottom of one of the side walls.

Glovebox

Box with internal dimensions 1950(W)x780(D)x900(H) (mm) and can be operated at over or under pressure: 15 to +15 mbarg. It guarantees a controlled argon atmosphere with oxygen, moisture and hydrogen concentrations as low as possible (< 10ppm). The glovebox has a laminated safety glass window with 4 glove ports and is equipped with an internal cooling unit of 0.95kW for tempering the box atmosphere. The box is specially designed to integrate a Netzsch F3 Jupiter TG/DSC‑apparatus and therefore a vibration isolated hard rock of 700x500mm is installed.

Thermal Analyzer

The Thermal Analyzer STA 449 F3 Jupiter from Netzsch measures simultaneously the mass change of a sample material and the corresponding heat release under an imposed temperature history. Also, the determination of the specific heat of different materials is possible with this machine.

The system has an integrated MFC mass gas controller for three noncorrosive and non- explosive gas/gas mixtures with software control and registration of the gas flow, suitable for measurements in dynamic and static inert gas atmosphere and the instrument is vacuum tight (10E 1 mbar). A Platinum furnace is installed (temperature range 25 ... 1500°C) with PtRh meander heater and an integrated control thermocouple type S. The mass change of the sample, under controlled atmosphere and temperature programs, is detected by a top-loading microbalance with a resolution of 1µg.

The MYRRHABELLE facility is a full Plexiglas water model at a scale 1/5 of the primary circuit of MYRRHA research reactor (design version 1.2). It has been named MYRRHABELLE for MYRRHA Basic SEt-up for Liquid FLow Experiments. It was designed and constructed at VKI, in collaboration with SCK•CEN.

The model follows the in-vessel design of MYRRHA. It combines the lower plenum and the upper plenum with the diaphragm separating the two plenums. It is equipped in the center with 16 electrical heaters to simulate the reactor core (maximum heating capacity of 48 kW), with two immersed pumps and with four water-cooled heat exchangers located in the upper plenum (each with a maximum cooling capacity of 12 kW). The free surface of the water model is at atmospheric pressure.

The water model is designated for a nominal water flow rate of 5.6 liter/s but the flow rate can be increased to 10 liter/s. The maximum T that is allowed during the tests is limited to 30°C (constraint on the Plexiglas). Based on these values, it is possible to simulate a Richardson number between 0.1 and 70 when performing water experiments.

CAD geometry of the water model
Water model of the research reactor Myrhha
Numerical simulation of the flow field
Closed-loop Sealed Facility Myrte
Infrared camera

The MYRTE wind tunnel is a closed-loop sealed facility that uses a specifically designed sealing system to avoid any leakages and ensure air tightness.

Thanks to this, tests can be performed using various gases, from low pressure to an absolute pressure of 1.3 bar. The wind tunnel is driven by a 1.1 kW variable-speed motor that allows to reach velocities up to 30 m/s in the 0.25 x 0.25 m test section.

Existing test sections Backward- Facing Step (BFS), a Forced Planar Jet (FPJ) and a Turbulent Boundary Layer (TBL). The vertical orientation of the wind tunnel enables to also reproduce a Buoyant Turbulent Boundary Layer (BTBL). These test cases include heating elements that enable to investigate thermal effects, while a heat exchanger can be placed in the loop for heat extraction. The tunnel is equipped with an automatized traverse system in order to carry out probe measurements and gives the possibility of applying laser techniques and InfraRed Thermography.

CAD of the BFS test sectionCAD of the BFS test section

Traverse system used for probe measurements and sealed casingTraverse system used for probe measurements and sealed casing