Distributions of Velocity and Turbulence in a Parallel Flow Along an Asymmetric Rod Bundle

An experimental investigation was performed to obtain detailed information on the velocity and turbulence distributions in a parallel turbulent flow through an asymmetric rod bundle. The rod bundle consisted of four parallel rods arranged asymmetrically in a rectangular channel. The pitch-to-diameter (P/D) ratio of the rods was P/D = 1.072. Experimental results were obtained in two wall subchannels with wall-to-diameter (W/D) ratios of W/D = 1.096 and 1.048, respectively. The experimental results showed high anisotropy of the momentum transport, particularly in the gaps of the rod bundle. Comparisons between the measured wall shear stresses and data computed by the VELASCO code show considerable differences, particularly for the wall subchannel with W/D = 1.048.