Abstract
Reduction of the pressure drag losses of steam separator systems for BWR (Boiling Water Reactor) plants is advantageous in that it makes the required pump head lower and enhances core stability. And lower pump power contributes directly to cost reduction. In this paper we describe a design procedure for developing steam separators for BWR plants with lower pressure drag losses by means of the combination of a simulation method and a scale-model experiment. It is found from three-dimensional two-phase simulation that the inlet pressure loss and outlet pressure loss in the swirler are dominant and the turning angle of vane and twisting angle of vane are important for separating steam-water mixture in the swirler. We designed the swirler with lower pressure losses using the swirler geometry parameter selected by two-phase simulation method. It is shown that the separator with the improved swirler can decrease pressure losses more than 30 percent compared to the conventional separator.
