Frequency-Response Analysis of Steam Voids to Sinusoidal Power Modulation in a Thin-Walled Boiling Water Coolant Channel [Thesis]

Technical Report · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1965

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4570445· OSTI ID:4570445

St. Pierre, Carl C. ^[1]

---

1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

A knowledge of the transient behavior of volume fraction of steam in a coolant channel during power transients is of practical importance in boiler and nuclear-reactor-coolant designs. This is particularly true for boiling water reactors in which the reactivity depends upon the vapor fraction in the channel and the vapor fraction, in turn, depends upon the power level of the reactor. This constitutes a feedback loop which may lead to instability. Due to the large heat-removal rates encountered in these reactors and the feedback nature of the problem, controllability and burnout have become important factors. The principal objective of this study was to acquire experimental data on power-to-void transfer functions for a single rectangular flow channel at elevated pressures. An "out-of-pile" or boiling loop was operated in forced circulation for various fixed pressures, inlet flow rates, and temperatures, and the power was modulated sinusoidally around a steady-state power level. Then the amplitude and phase of the void response were measured at various axial and transverse positions of the channel, employing a cross-correlation technique over the frequency range from 0.01 to 5 cps. Through an analysis of the data plotted in Bode diagram form, information was obtained as to the propagation velocity of void perturbations, the range of linearity of the void response to power modulation, the shape of the axial variation of transient void amplitudes, and break frequency of the transfer function.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• NSA Number: NSA-20-008344
• OSTI ID: 4570445
• Report Number(s): ANL-7041
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
42 ENGINEERING
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
Bode Diagram
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Nuclear Reactors
Test Loops
Void Fraction
Wave Analyzer