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Fluid mixing and flow distribution in the reactor circuit - Part 1: Measurement data base

Rohde, U.; Kliem, S.; Höhne, T.; Karlsson, R.; Hemström, B.; Lillington, J.; Toppila, T.; Elter, J.; Bezrukov, Y.

Experimental investigations and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations on coolant mixing in Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR) have been performed within the EC project FLOMIX-R. The project aims at describing the mixing phenomena relevant for both safety analysis, particularly in steam line break and boron dilution scenarios, and mixing phenomena of interest for economical operation and the structural integrity. Measurement data from a set of mixing experiments have been gained by using advanced measurement techniques with enhanced resolution in time and space. Slug mixing tests simulating the start-up of the first main circulation pump are performed with two 1:5 scaled facilities: the Rossendorf Coolant Mixing model ROCOM and the Vattenfall test facility. Additional data on slug mixing in a VVER-1000 type reactor have been gained at a 1:5 scaled metal mock-up at EDO Gidropress. Experimental results on buoyancy driven mixing of fluids with density differences have been obtained at ROCOM and the Fortum PTS test facility.
Concerning mixing phenomena of interest for operational issues and thermal fatigue, flow distribution data available from commissioning tests at PWRs and VVER are used together with the data from the ROCOM facility as a basis for the flow distribution studies.
In part 1 of the paper, the experiments performed are described, results of the mixing experiments are shown and discussed. In part 2, efforts on computational fluid dynamics codes validation on selected mixing tests under steady-state flow conditions will be reported about. The application of Best Practice Guidelines in code validation will be demonstrated.

Keywords: nuclear reactor; boron dilution; turbulent mixing; pre-stressed thermal shock; measurement data; wire mesh sensor; test facility

  • Nuclear Engineering and Design, 235(2005), 421-443

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-6528
Publ.-Id: 6528