Development of Prediction Technology of Two-Phase Flow Dynamics Under Earthquake Acceleration: (14) Numerical Simulation of Two-Phase Flow in Subchannels Under Accelerating Condition

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Yoshida ◽  
Taku Nagatake ◽  
Kazuyuki Takase ◽  
Akiko Kaneko ◽  
Hideaki Monji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Void Fraction ◽  
Two Phase Flow ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Bubbly Flow ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Void Fraction Distribution ◽  
Fraction Distribution

An earthquake is one of the most serious phenomena to consider for the safety of a nuclear reactor in Japan. Therefore, structural safety of nuclear reactors has been studied and nuclear reactors were contracting with structural safety for a big earthquake. However, it is not enough for safety operation of nuclear reactors because thermal-fluid safety is not confirmed under the earthquake. For instance, behavior of gas-liquid two-phase flow is unknown in seismic conditions. Especially, fluctuation of void fraction is an important factor for the safety operation of the nuclear reactor. In previous work, fluctuation of void faction in bubbly flow was studied experimentally and theoretically to investigate the stability of the bubbly flow. In such studies, flow rate or void fraction fluctuations were given to the steady bubbly flow. In case of the earthquake, the fluctuation is not only the flow rate, but also a body force on the two-phase flow and shear force through the pipe wall. Interactions of gas and liquid through their interface also act on the behavior of the two-phase flow. The fluctuation of the void fraction is not clear for such complicated situation during the earthquake. Therefore, the behavior of gas-liquid two-phase flow is investigated experimentally and numerically in a series of studies. In this study, to develop the predictive technology of two-phase flow dynamics under earthquake acceleration, a detailed two-phase flow simulation code with an advanced interface tracking method TPFIT (Two-Phase Flow simulation code with Interface Tracking) was expanded to two-phase flow simulation in seismic conditions. In a previous study, we performed a numerical simulation of a two-phase bubbly flow in a horizontal pipe and a vertical bubble motion in a water tank in seismic conditions. And it was confirmed that the modified TPFIT can be applicable to the bubbly flow in seismic conditions. In this paper, the two-phase bubbly flow in a simulated single-subchannel excited by oscillation acceleration was simulated by using the expanded TPFIT. A calculation domain used in this simulation was a simplified subchannel in a BWR core. And time-series of void fraction distributions were evaluated based on predicted bubble distributions. When no oscillation acceleration was added, void fraction concentrated in a region near the wall. When oscillation acceleration was added, void fraction distribution was changed by time. And coalesces of bubbles occurred in the numerical simulation, and bubbles with relatively large diameter were observed. In the results, complicated void fraction distribution was observed, because the response of void fraction distribution on the oscillation acceleration was dependent on not only imposed acceleration, but also the bubble diameter.

Analysis of Turbulence Structure and Void Fraction Distribution in Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow Under Bubbly and Slug Flow Regime

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isao Kataoka ◽  
Kenji Yoshida ◽  
Tsutomu Ikeno ◽  
Tatsuya Sasakawa ◽  
Koichi Kondo
Keyword(s):  
Void Fraction ◽  
Turbulence Model ◽  
Slug Flow ◽  
Two Phase Flow ◽  
Bubbly Flow ◽  
Turbulence Structure ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Void Fraction Distribution ◽  
Fraction Distribution

Accurate analyses of turbulence structure and void fraction distribution are quite important in designing and safety evaluation of various industrial equipments using gas-liquid two-phase flow such as nuclear reactor, etc. Using turbulence model of two-phase flow and models of bubble behaviors in bubble flow and slug flow, systematic analyses of distributions of void fraction, averaged velocity and turbulent velocity were carried out and compared with experimental data. In bubbly flow, diffusion of bubble and lift force are dominant in determining void fraction distribution. On the other hand, in slug flow, large scale turbulence eddies which convey bubbles into the center of flow passage are important in determining void fraction distribution. In turbulence model, one equation turbulence model is used with turbulence generation and turbulence dissipation due to bubbles. Mixing length due to bubble is also modeled. Using these bubble behavior models and turbulence models, systematic predictions were carried out for void distributions and turbulence distributions for wide range of flow conditions of two phase flow including bubbly and slug flow. The results of predictions were compared with experimental data in round straight tube with successful agreement. In particular, concave void distributions in bubbly flow and convex distribution in slug flow were well predicted based on the present model.

Development of Prediction Technology of Two-Phase Flow Dynamics Under Earthquake Acceleration: 10 — Numerical Prediction of Velocity Profile Around Bubble Under Accelerating Condition

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Yoshida ◽  
Taku Nagatake ◽  
Kazuyuki Takase ◽  
Akiko Kaneko ◽  
Hideaki Monji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Void Fraction ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Two Phase Flow ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Bubbly Flow ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Structural Safety ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Two Phase

An earthquake is one of the most serious phenomena for the safety of a nuclear reactor in Japan. Therefore, structural safety of nuclear reactors has been studied and nuclear reactors ware contracted with structural safety for a big earthquake. However, it is not enough for safety operation of nuclear reactors because thermal-fluid safety is not confirmed under the earthquake. For instance, behavior of gas-liquid two-phase flow is unknown under the earthquake conditions. Especially, fluctuation of void fraction is an important factor for the safety operation of the nuclear reactor. In the previous work, fluctuation of void faction in bubbly flow was studied experimentally and theoretically investigate the stability of the bubbly flow. In such studies, flow rate or void fraction fluctuations were given to the steady bubbly flow. In case of the earthquake, the fluctuation is not only the flow rate, but also a body force on the two-phase flow and shear force through the pipe wall. Interactions of gas and liquid through their interface also act on the behavior of the two-phase flow. The fluctuation of the void fraction is not clear for such complicated situation under the earthquake. Therefore, the behavior of gas-liquid two-phase flow is investigated experimentally and numerically in the series of study. In this study, to develop the predictive technology of two-phase flow dynamics under earthquake acceleration, a detailed two-phase flow simulation code with an advanced interface tracking method TPFIT was expanded to two-phase flow simulation under earthquake conditions. In this paper, the bubbly flow in a horizontal pipe excited by oscillation acceleration and under the fluctuation of the liquid flow was simulated by using the expanded TPFIT. Predicted time series of velocity profiles around the bubbles and shapes of bubbles were compared with measured results under flow rate fluctuation and structural vibration. Predicted results were almost same as measured results qualitatively. And it was concluded that the expanded TPFIT can be applied to qualitative analysis of bubbly flow under accelerating conditions.

Measurement of Three-Dimensional Time-Averaged Void Fraction Distribution in Rod Bundle in Air-Water System by X-Ray CT Technique

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenichi Katono ◽  
Jun Nukaga ◽  
Takuji Nagayoshi ◽  
Kenichi Yasuda
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Assembly ◽  
Void Fraction ◽  
Two Phase Flow ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Ct Images ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Void Fraction Distribution ◽  
Fraction Distribution

We have been developing a void fraction distribution measurement technique using the three-dimensional (3D) time-averaged X-ray CT (computed tomography) system to understand two-phase flow behavior inside a fuel assembly for BWR (boiling water reactor) thermal hydraulic conditions of 7.2 MPa and 288 °C. Unlike CT images of a normal standstill object, we can obtain 3D CT images that are reconstructed from time-averaged X-ray projection data of the intermittent two-phase flow. We measured the 3D void fraction distribution in a vertical square (5 × 5) rod array that simulated a BWR fuel assembly in the air-water test. From the 3D time-averaged CT images, we confirmed that the void fraction at the center part of the channel box was higher than that near the channel box wall, and the local void fraction at the central region of a subchannel was higher than that at the gap region of the subchannel. A comparison of the volume-averaged void fractions evaluated by the developed X-ray CT system with those evaluated by a differential pressure transducer in a void fraction range from 0.05 to 0.40 showed satisfactory agreement within a difference of 0.03.

Development of Prediction Technology of Two-Phase Flow Dynamics Under Earthquake Acceleration: (13) Rising Bubble Motion Under Horizontal Vibration

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rie Arai ◽  
Akiko Kaneko ◽  
Hideaki Monji ◽  
Yutaka Abe ◽  
Hiroyuki Yoshida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Void Fraction ◽  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Two Phase Flow ◽  
Liquid Velocity ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Bubbly Flow ◽  
Structural Safety ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Safety Operation

An earthquake is one of the most serious phenomena for the safety of a nuclear reactor in Japan. Therefore, structural safety of nuclear reactors has been studied and nuclear reactors ware contracted with structural safety for a big earthquake. However, it is not enough for safety operation of nuclear reactors because thermal-fluid safety is not confirmed under the earthquake. For instance, behavior of gas-liquid two-phase flow is unknown under the earthquake conditions. Especially, fluctuation of void fraction is an important factor for the safety operation of the nuclear reactor. In the previous work, fluctuation of void faction in bubbly flow was studied experimentally and theoretically, to investigate the stability of the bubbly flow. In such studies, flow rate or void fraction fluctuations were given to the steady bubbly flow. In the case of the earthquake, the fluctuation is not only the flow rate, but also a body force on the two-phase flow and a shear force through a pipe wall. Interactions of gas and liquid through their interface also act on the behavior of the two-phase flow. The fluctuation of the void fraction is not clear for such complicated situation under the earthquake. Therefore, in this research project, the behavior of gas-liquid two-phase flow is investigated experimentally and numerically in the series of study. In this study, to investigate the effects of vibration on bubbly flow in the components and construct an experimental database for validation, we performed visualization experiments of vertical bubbly flow in a rectangular water tank on which a sine wave vibration was applied. In this paper, results of visualized experiment evaluated by the visualization techniques, including positions of bubbles, shapes of bubbles and liquid velocity distributions around bubbles, were shown. And liquid velocity distribution around bubbles by the PIV measurement was also shown. In the results, bubble behaviors were affected by oscillation. And the cycle of the bubble tilt angle was almost same as the cycle of oscillation table velocity.

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