Air-Water Two-Phase Flow in a Four by Four Rod Bundle with Partial Length Rods

Abstract

Partial length rods (PLR) are used in fuel bundles of BWR to reduce pressure drops in two-phase regions and to optimize the power distribution. Since little is known about effects of PLR on two-phase flows, air-water two-phase flow around PLRs in a four by four rod bundle is visualized by using a high-speed video camera. The experimental apparatus consists of acrylic channel box and transparent rods. Air and water at atmospheric pressure and room temperature are used for the gas and liquid phases, respectively. The ranges of the gas and liquid volume fluxes, J_G and J_L, are 0.4 < J_L < 2.0 m/s and 0.06 < J_G < 8.85 m/s, which cover typical two-phase flow patterns appearing in the fuel bundle. As a result, the following conclusions are obtained. (1) In churn flows at high J_L, the flow pattern in the downstream of PLR transits to slug flow, and the flow patterns in the surrounding subchannels transit to bubbly flow due to the redistribution of gas flow. (2) In annular flow, the liquid film on the PLR forms a liquid column above the end cap of PLR. Drops are generated by column breakup and deposit on liquid films on the neighboring rods. (3) The liquid film thickness on the surface of neighbor rods facing the PLR increases and it reduces that on their opposite surface in the downstream of PLR.