Advanced light water reactor systems are designed to use passive emergency core cooling systems with horizontal pipes that provide highly subcooled water from water storage tanks or passive heat exchangers to the reactor vessel core under accident conditions. Because passive systems are driven by density gradients, the horizontal pipes often do not flow full and thus have a free surface that is exposed to saturated steam and stratified flow is present. The subcooled water flows into the reactor vessel via the downcomer—which is an annular region separated from the core by a cylindrical, steel, inner liner. Under accident conditions, where the horizontal pipes are only partially full, both saturated water and saturated steam from the downcomer are likely to be present in the pipe. The saturated water is quasi-static and the fraction of the free surface that is saturated water is dictated by the physics of the flow. The saturated steam is usually flowing in the countercurrent direction to the subcooled water. Consequently the flow may be a three-layered system with saturated steam over a static saturated liquid layer over a flowing subcooled layer. The conditions leading to a saturated liquid layer that separates the saturated steam from flowing subcooled water are explored. The variables that influence the formation of the saturated liquid layer and enable the saturated layer to be maintained for a spectrum of conditions, including steam flow in the countercurrent direction to the subcooled water, are derived, and compared to experimental data. Conclusions regarding this type of flow are given. Finally, typical steam flow velocities that may induce wave-bridging, leading to condensation-induced-water hammer, are identified.
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ASME 2010 3rd Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Summer Meeting collocated with 8th International Conference on Nanochannels, Microchannels, and Minichannels
August 1–5, 2010
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Conference Sponsors:
- Fluids Engineering Division
ISBN:
978-0-7918-4948-4
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Saturated-Subcooled Stratified Flow in Horizontal Pipes Available to Purchase
Richard R. Schultz,
Richard R. Schultz
Idaho National Lab, Idaho Falls, ID
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Hiral J. Kadakia,
Hiral J. Kadakia
Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
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Jim C. P. Liou,
Jim C. P. Liou
University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
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Brian G. Williams
Brian G. Williams
Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
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Richard R. Schultz
Idaho National Lab, Idaho Falls, ID
Hiral J. Kadakia
Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
Jim C. P. Liou
University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
Brian G. Williams
Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
Paper No:
FEDSM-ICNMM2010-30975, pp. 1981-1993; 13 pages
Published Online:
March 1, 2011
Citation
Schultz, RR, Kadakia, HJ, Liou, JCP, & Williams, BG. "Saturated-Subcooled Stratified Flow in Horizontal Pipes." Proceedings of the ASME 2010 3rd Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Summer Meeting collocated with 8th International Conference on Nanochannels, Microchannels, and Minichannels. ASME 2010 3rd Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Summer Meeting: Volume 1, Symposia – Parts A, B, and C. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. August 1–5, 2010. pp. 1981-1993. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/FEDSM-ICNMM2010-30975
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