Model validation using CFD-grade experimental database for NGNP Reactor Cavity Cooling Systems with water and air
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
This project has been focused on the experimental and numerical investigations of the water-cooled and air-cooled Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS) designs. At this aim, we have leveraged an existing experimental facility at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), and we have designed and built a separate effect test facility at the University of Michigan. The experimental facility at UW has underwent several upgrades, including the installation of advanced instrumentation (i.e. wire-mesh sensors) built at the University of Michigan. These provides highresolution time-resolved measurements of the void-fraction distribution in the risers of the water-cooled RCCS facility. A phenomenological model has been developed to assess the water cooled RCCS system stability and determine the root cause behind the oscillatory behavior that occurs under normal two-phase operation. Testing under various perturbations to the water-cooled RCCS facility have resulted in changes in the stability of the integral system. In particular, the effects on stability of inlet orifices, water tank volume have and system pressure been investigated. MELCOR was used as a predictive tool when performing inlet orificing tests and was able to capture the Density Wave Oscillations (DWOs) that occurred upon reaching saturation in the risers. The experimental and numerical results have then been used to provide RCCS design recommendations. The experimental facility built at the University of Michigan was aimed at the investigation of mixing in the upper plenum of the air-cooled RCCS design. The facility has been equipped with state-of-theart high-resolution instrumentation to achieve so-called CFD grade experiments, that can be used for the validation of Computational Fluid Dynanmics (CFD) models, both RANS (Reynold-Averaged) and LES (Large Eddy Simulations). The effect of risers penetration in the upper plenum has been investigated as well.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
- Contributing Organization:
- University of MIchigan, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- DOE Contract Number:
- NE0000663
- OSTI ID:
- 1420273
- Report Number(s):
- M1NU-13-MI-UM 0201-032_PRJ13-5000; PRJ13-5000; TRN: US1900032
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: A. Manera, M. Corradini, V. Petrov, M. Anderson, C. Tompkins, D. Nunez, Model validation using CFD-grade experimental database for NGNP Reactor Cavity Cooling Systems with water and air, Final report, DOE NEUP PRJ13-5000, 2017.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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