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Countercurrent flow limitation in thin rectangular channels between advanced test reactor fuel elements

Conference · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)
OSTI ID:6659372
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls (United States)
An analytical and experimental investigation of countercurrent flow limitation (CCFL) in thin, rectangular channels, similar to those between adjacent fuel elements in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), was conducted at the Idaho National Entgineering Laboratory. The ATR is a 250-MW(thermal) materials irradiation facility operated by EG G Idaho, Inc. for the US Department of Energy. During a postulated large-break loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA), the ATRs emergency core cooling system will inject water directly into the reactor vessel both above and below the core. However, reflood via the upper injection system may be limited by upward flowing steam. Flooding experiments were carried out with air and water to evaluate the flooding limits in a 0.0011- (or 0.0022)- [times] 0.064- [times] 1.55-m test section. The test section represented the flow channel between the side plates of adjacent ATR fuel elements through which coolant could enter the core during a large-break LOCA. The objectives of the present study were to (a) develop a drift-flux CCFL model from the experimental data and (b) assess the ability of the RELAP5 thermal-hydraulic code to simulate CCFL.
OSTI ID:
6659372
Report Number(s):
CONF-921102--
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 66
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English