FR Number Effect on Downcomer Flowpattern Development in Cold Leg Injection Scenarios

In addition to acquiring data for code verification, the recent rapid Boron dilution (RBD) test program at the University of Maryland 2×4 Thermalhydraulic Loop Facility (UM 2×4 Loop) aimed to resolve several issues related to physical phenomena that can affect the reboration of a boron dilute slug as it travels to the core. Among these issues, confirmation was sought that buoyancy plays a minimal role in the mixing of the slug as it travels through the downcomer. The tests showed, however, that the Froude (Fr) number substantially impacts the downcomer flowpattern. The slug distribution in the downcomer clearly changes from penetrating downwards along a single jet when the Fr number is smaller than approximately 6 to splitting into two jets that form a stagnation region under the injection site when Fr exceeds approximately 10. This observation was initially made evaluating the evolution histories of Fr numbers throughout individual tests. Closer examination of a broad family of tests showed that the flowpattern can actually be predicted based on Fr numbers determined from initial and boundary test conditions. Even though global figures of merit for mixing, e.g., azimuthally averaged scalar descriptors of mixing at a horizontal level of the downcomer, are only weakly affected by Fr number changes, this finding has substantial implications to the computational assessment of rapid Boron-dilution (RBD) consequences. A thorough understanding of the flow field is an essential prerequisite in computational fluid dynamics modeling.