Experimental study on local interfacial parameters in upward air-water bubbly flow in a vertical 66 rod bundle

Han, X.*; Shen, X.*; Yamamoto, Toshihiro*; Nakajima, Ken*; Sun, Haomin   ; Hibiki, Takashi*

This paper presents a database of local flow parameters for upward adiabatic air-water two-phase flows in a vertical 66 rod bundle flow channel. The local void fraction, interfacial area concentration (IAC), bubble diameter and bubble velocity vector were measured by using a four-sensor optical probe. Based on an existing state-of-the-art four-sensor probe methodology with the characteristic to count small bubbles, IAC in this study was derived more reliably than those in the existing studies. In addition, bubble velocity vector could be measured by the methodology. Based on this database, flow characteristics were investigated. The area-averaged void fraction and IAC were compared with the predictions from the drift-flux model and the IAC correlations, respectively. The applicability of those to the rod bundle flow channel was evaluated.