Dynamic Loads Due to Blowdown Through a Sparger

An experiment has been performed using a facility, which simulates the safety depressurization system (SDS) and in-containment refueling water storage tank (IRWST) of APR1400, an advanced PWR being developed in Korea, to investigate the dynamic load resulting from the blowdown of steam from a steam generator through a sparger. The influence of the key parameters, such as air mass, steam pressure, submergence, valve opening time, and pool temperature, on frequency and peak loads was investigated. The blowdown phenomenon was analyzed to find out the real cause of the initiation of bubble oscillation and discrepancy in frequencies between the experiment and calculation by conventional equation for bubble oscillation. The cause of significant damping was discussed and is presumed to be the highly tortuous flow path around bubble. The Rayleigh-Plesset equation modified by the introduction of method of image reasonably reproduce the bubble oscillation in a confined tank. Right after the completion of air discharge the steam discharge immediately follows and it condenses abruptly to provide low-pressure pocket. It may contribute to the negative maximum being greater than positive maximum. The subsequently discharging steam does not play as the driving force anymore. The effect of various parameters on the peak pressure and frequency was analyzed. The air mass, valve opening time, and submergence give significant effect on both of frequency and peak pressure while steam mass flux gives questionable effect and pool temperature gives almost none.