The MAX facility for CFD code validation

ANL has recently completed construction of a fluid dynamics test facility devised to provide validation data for CFD simulation tools used to evaluate various aspects of nuclear power plant design and safety. Experiments with the facility involve mixing air jets within a 1x1x1.7m long glass tank at atmospheric pressure. A particle image velocimetry system measures flow velocity and turbulence quantities within the tank while a high-speed infrared camera records temperatures across the tank lid. The tandem of high fidelity thermal and turbulence data is particularly useful for benchmarking transient heat transfer phenomena such as thermal striping. This paper describes the MAX facility, preliminary data obtained during shakedown tests, and the results of companion CFD calculations employing RANS-based Star-CCM+ and large eddy simulations with Nek 5000.