scholarly journals Numerical Simulations and Design Optimization of the PHT Loop of Natural Circulation BWR

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
G. V. Durga Prasad ◽  
G. Gopa Kishor ◽  
Manmohan Pandey ◽  
Uday S. Dixit

Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of natural circulation boiling water reactor (NCBWR) are very important in order to study its performance for different designs and various off-design conditions and for design optimization. In the present work, parametric studies of the primary heat transport loop of NCBWR have been performed using lumped parameter models and RELAP5/MOD3.4 code. The lumped parameter models are based on the drift flux model and homogeneous equilibrium mixture (HEM) model of two-phase flow. Numerical simulations are performed with both models. Compared to the results obtained from the HEM model, those obtained from the drift flux model are closer to RELAP5. The variations of critical heat flux with various geometric parameters and operating conditions are thoroughly investigated. The material required to construct the primary heat transport (PHT) loop of NCBWR has been minimized using sequential quadratic programming. The stability of NCBWR has also been verified at the optimum point.

Author(s):  
Peter Toma

Offspring of the nuclear reactor industry and gas-oil production, multiphase fluids handling technology appears to have matured into an entirely new field of inquiry, most notably following broad acceptance of the drift flux and flow pattern concepts and their widespread integration into engineering calculations. The drift flux model (DFM), first suggested by Nicklin in 1962 and, soon after, adapted and developed by Professor Zuber’s research group at General Electric, enables calculation of “locally averaged” phase velocity. Further progress made in selection of the flow patterns, calculated for each section of the pipe, provided the key to properly assessing the terminal velocity of the discrete phase and the local phase distributions. The flow pattern concept was first introduced by Canadian Charles Govier to describe oil-water laboratory experiments, then by Hewitt-Roberts and Baker in 1954. A decade later, the team of Dukler-Taitel-Barnea developed the qualitative flow pattern concept into a quantitative roadmap procedure leading to rational calculations of the local (cross-section averaged) gas-liquid flow geometry, or flow pattern. The homogeneous gas-liquid flow, presuming the equality of gas and liquid velocities, a simplification broadly accepted during the early days of two-phase flow engineering, came to be regarded, due to Hinze’s work (Shell, 1955), as an identifiable region in the local flow map, reflecting turbulent and high-shear breakup of the discrete phase. To illustrate the usefulness, validity, and importance of the DFM, and mechanistic modeling using the DFM, as well as the salient work of Prof. Zuber on boiling instability this paper discuses reduction of potential explosive droplet boiling risk during multiphase pumping of high–gas-oil ratio mixtures. To assess critical operating conditions of the multiphase pumps, the Ishi-Zuber criteria developed during 1970 for assessing potential boiling instabilities were adapted to multiphase pumping/compression equipment and the results compared to field instability data. The elucidation of this problem relies heavily on the DFM and on salient research performed during 70s by Prof. Zuber’s team.


2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 528-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Kim ◽  
S. S. Paranjape ◽  
M. Ishii ◽  
J. Kelly

The vertical co-current downward air-water two-phase flow was studied under adiabatic condition in round tube test sections of 25.4-mm and 50.8-mm ID. In flow regime identification, a new approach was employed to minimize the subjective judgment. It was found that the flow regimes in the co-current downward flow strongly depend on the channel size. In addition, various local two-phase flow parameters were acquired by the multi-sensor miniaturized conductivity probe in bubbly flow. Furthermore, the area-averaged data acquired by the impedance void meter were analyzed using the drift flux model. Three different distributions parameters were developed for different ranges of non-dimensional superficial velocity, defined by the ration of total superficial velocity to the drift velocity.


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