CFD Modeling of Phase Change during the Flashing-Induced Instability in a Natural Circulation Circuit

Flashing-induced instability (FII) has a significant impact on the safe operation of a natural cir-culation circuit, a phenomenon frequently encountered in the cooling systems of advanced light water reactors. While one-dimensional system codes are commonly used for engineering design and safety analysis of FII, there is a strong academic interest in understanding the underlying physical mechanisms. To address this, high-resolution computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations serve as a valuable tool. However, the current state of CFD modeling for phase change two-phase flows, particularly high transient fluctuating flashing flows, is still in its early stages of development. In this study, we establish a CFD model that focuses on interphase heat transfer to analyze FII. By incorporating experimental data from the literature, we investigate the transient flow field and thermodynamic behavior in the riser of the GENEVA test facility. The study provides valuable insights into the non-equilibrium and interfacial transfer phenom-ena during the phase change as well as the effect of high-frequency fluctuation. Additionally, we discuss in detail the challenges associated with FII modeling and the limitations of the current model. We also provide suggestions for potential improvements in future numerical studies.