Abstract
A correlation is developed for the liquid carryover fraction during both constant and oscillatory reflood with application to nuclear power accidents. The correlation, semi-empirical in nature, is based on extensive experiments in a 7 × 7 rod bundle array at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission/Pennsylvania State University Rod Bundle Heat Transfer (NRC/PSU RBHT) facility. Liquid carryover and entrainment can significantly impact quench behavior and maximum cladding temperatures during a postulated accident; therefore, accurate predictions of these phenomena are critical. The parameters associated with the stability at the liquid–vapor interface, and hence the liquid entrainment and subsequent carryover are established. These parameters provide the basic form of the correlation with experimental data from the NRC/PSU RBHT facility to determine the model coefficients. Using a weighted least-squares method that minimizes the error between modeled and experimental carryover fraction, we implemented a genetic algorithm to identify the parameters of this correlation. The proposed model is compared with experimental data and predictions from the NRC's TRACE code and lies within 20% error margin.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 112440 |
| Journal | Nuclear Engineering and Design |
| Volume | 412 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2023 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Nuclear and High Energy Physics
- General Materials Science
- Nuclear Energy and Engineering
- Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
- Waste Management and Disposal
- Mechanical Engineering