CFD-based analysis and experimental study on gas entrainment phenomenon due to free surface vortex

Song, K.*; Ito, Kei*; Ito, Daisuke*; Odaira, Naoya*; Saito, Yasushi*; Matsushita, Kentaro; Ezure, Toshiki; Tanaka, Masaaki

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2023/05

Gas entrainment (GE) phenomena caused by a free surface vortex may cause the disturbance in core power of sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). For this reason, the entrained gas flow rate by the GE should be evaluated accurately for the practical safety design of SFRs. In this study, for the purpose of examining the applicability of CFD for the accurate evaluation of GE phenomena, a CFD is applied to the simulation of the free surface vortex and accompanied GE phenomena in a cylindrical vessel with a suction pipe, and the CFD results and the experimental data of the GE are compared. As a result, the CFD and experiments show similar two-phase flow pattern inside the suction pipe, and the shape of the gas core at the free surface is also very similar. Therefore, it is confirmed that the CFD can predict the GE phenomena triggered by a free surface vortex properly and accurately within the acceptable error range.

Numerical simulation of two-phase flow in fuel assemblies with a spacer grid using a mechanistically based method

Ono, Ayako; Yamashita, Susumu; Suzuki, Takayuki*; Yoshida, Hiroyuki

Proceedings of 19th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-19) (Internet), 16 Pages, 2022/03

JAEA is developing the methodology to predict the critical heat flux based on a mechanism in order to reduce the cost for full mock-up test. The evaluation method based on a mechanism is expected to be able to predict in the wide range of parameter under the unexpected conditions including the severe accident. In this study, the JUPITER code developed by JAEA is examined to apply for the two-phase flow simulation of LWR fuel assembly with the spacer grid. The benchmark data of single-phase flow in the bundle with the spacers by KAERI were used to validate the simulation result by JUPITER. Moreover, the single-phase flow simulation was conducted by another simulation method, STAR-CCM+, as a supplemental analysis to consider the effect of the different simulation methods. Finally, the two-phase flow simulation for the bundle with the spacer was conducted by JUPITER. The effect of the spacer with a vane on the bubble behavior is discussed.

Flow regime and void fraction predictions in vertical rod bundle flow channels

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

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 178, p.121637_1 - 121637_24, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121637

Numerical simulation of microparticles motion in two-phase bubbly flow

Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Uesawa, Shinichiro

Proceedings of 2020 International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 2020) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE2020-16393

Adefining the mechanism of the gas-bubble AE characteristics by two-phase flow test

Niunoya, Sumio*; Hata, Koji*; Uyama, Masao*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Tanai, Kenji

Dai-47-Kai Gamban Rikigaku Ni Kansuru Shimpojiumu Koenshu (Internet), p.92 - 97, 2020/01

Since underground water at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory site includes the dissolved gas, it is important to understand the quantitative behavior of AE signal waveform clearly and to develop the criteria of sorting technique. In this report, we tried to perform two types of laboratory tests (Small pipe test and Flat-plate test) in order to obtain detail data of AE signal wave form under two-phase flow. As the result, we could understand that there exists the relationship between the pressure breathing and AE generation, and that the diameter of pipe did not affect the AE behavior.

Study on the two-phase flow in simulated LWR fuel bundle by CFD code

Ono, Ayako; Yamashita, Susumu; Suzuki, Takayuki*; Yoshida, Hiroyuki

Proceedings of 18th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-18) (USB Flash Drive), p.666 - 677, 2019/08

An evaluation methodology of critical heat fluxes (CHFs) based on a mechanism for fuel assemblies in light water reactors (LWRs) is needed in order to design and evaluate the safety for the fuel assemblies in LWRs. In our study, the numerical simulation with surface-tracking will be applied for the two-phase flow in fuel assemblies in order to obtain the detail data relating to the size and velocity of bubbles in the subchannel, which is needed to predict the CHF based on the mechanism. In this study, the numerical simulation of two-phase flow in 44 bundle was implemented by using JUPITER in order to establish the evaluation method of the size and velocity of bubbles by the numerical simulation, which is the multi-physics simulation code and enable to track the gas-liquid surface. The simulation results are validated by the curve of flow regime for air-water under the adiabatic condition. The bubble and velocity of bubbles obtained by simulation results are analyzed.

Measurement of water-steam flow behavior and pressure distribution in venturi scrubber

Uesawa, Shinichiro; Horiguchi, Naoki; Suzuki, Takayuki*; Shibata, Mitsuhiko; Yoshida, Hiroyuki

Proceedings of 12th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics, Operation and Safety (NUTHOS-12) (USB Flash Drive), 11 Pages, 2018/10

Online coupling of two-phase flow solvent extraction microfluidics with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Do, V. K.; Yamamoto, Masahiko; Taguchi, Shigeo; Kuno, Takehiko; Surugaya, Naoki

Current Analytical Chemistry, 14(2), p.111 - 119, 2018/00

https://doi.org/10.2174/1573411013666170421121927

A direct coupling of two-phase flow solvent extraction microfluidics with ICP-MS for element-selective analysis is successfully established. Two-phase flow in microchannels of two combined glass chips for continuous extraction and back-extraction is stabilized through balancing the pressure by using an external coiled tube that functions as a flow resistor. The difference of fluid flow rate between microchannels and ICP-MS is adjusted by a proposed interface system including T-junction mixer and a switching valve. An online measurement of rhenium is successfully demonstrated. The calibration curve for Re is carried out in the range of 1 g/L to 20 g/L. The limit of detection is 0.2 g/L with a needed sample volume of one milliliter. Total time including extraction, back-extraction, and measurement is less than one hour. The development of the online coupling is a first step towards future applications to the selective measurement of highly radioactive elements.

Multi-dimensional gas-liquid two-phase flow in vertical large-diameter channels

Shen, X.*; Schlegel, J. P.*; Hibiki, Takashi*; Nakamura, Hideo

Proceedings of 2017 Japan-US Seminar on Two-Phase Flow Dynamics (JUS 2017), 6 Pages, 2017/06

Gas-liquid bubbly flow structure in a vertical large-diameter square duct

Shen, X.*; Sun, Haomin; Deng, B.*; Hibiki, Takashi*; Nakamura, Hideo

Progress in Nuclear Energy, 89, p.140 - 158, 2016/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2016.02.014

An experimental study was performed on the local structure of upward air-water two-phase flow in a vertical large diameter square duct by using a four-sensor probe. The four-sensor probe method classifying spherical and non-spherical bubbles was applied as a key measurement way to obtain local parameters such as 3-D bubble velocity vector, bubble diameter and interfacial area concentration. Both the local void fraction and interfacial area concentration indicated radial core-peak and wall-peak distributions at low and high liquid flow rates respectively. The 2 components of the bubble velocity vector in the cross-section revealed that there exists a rotating secondary flow in the octant symmetric triangular area and the magnitude of the rotating secondary flow increases with the liquid flow rate. Some of constitutive correlations of drift-flux model and interfacial area concentration are reviewed to study their predictabilities against the present data.