Experimental and numerical studies on high-pressure Steam Condensation in a horizontal condenser tube

We introduce results of an experimental and numerical study on condensation steam heat transfer in a near horizontal tube at pressure up to 65 bar. Experiments have been performed at the COSMEA test facility at HZDR, which is part of the TOPFLOW Two-Phase Flow facility. Objective of the experimental study was a detailed analysis of the interplay between two-phase flow and heat transfer during steam condensation in an emergency condenser tube. The experimental results are part of a system and CFD code qualification project for passive heat removal systems. The condenser tube resembles a section of a single tube in the KERENA emergency condenser for which integral tests have been performed at Framatome’s INKA test facility in Karlstein, Germany. Beside integral heat flux and condensation rates the experiments at COSMEA deliver high-resolution cross-sectional flow images obtained by X-ray tomography and angularly resolved heat flux through the condenser tube wall. Accompanying CFD simulations have been carried out with ANSYS CFX and a new consistent model for wall and direct contact condensation.