Experiments on microgravity boiling heat transfer by using transparent heaters

To clarify the relation between the liquid–vapor behavior and the heat transfer characteristics in the boiling phenomena, the structures of transparent heaters were developed for both flow boiling and pool boiling experiments and were applied to the microgravity environment realized by the parabolic flight of aircraft. In the flow boiling experiment, a transparent heated tube makes the heating, the observation of liquid–vapor behavior and the measurement of heat transfer data simultaneously possible. The heat transfer coefficient in the annular flow regime at moderate quality has distinct dependence on gravity provided that the mass velocity is not so high, while no noticeable gravity effect is seen at high quality and in the bubbly flow regime. The measured gravity effect was directly related to the behavior of annular liquid film observed through the transparent tube wall. In the pool boiling experiment, a structure of transparent heating surface realizes both the observation of the macrolayer or microlayer behavior from underneath and the measurements of local surface temperatures and the layer thickness. It was clarified in the microgravity experiments that no vapor stem exists but tiny bubbles are observed in the macrolayer underneath a large coalesced bubble at high heat flux. The heat flux evaluated by the heat conduction across the layer assumes less than 30% of the total to be transferred. The evaporation of the microlayers underneath primary bubbles just after the generation dominates the heat transfer in the microgravity, not only in the isolated bubble region but also in the coalesced bubble region.     

Investigation of pre- and post-dryout heat transfer of steam-water two-phase flow in a rod bundle

Pre- and post-dryout heat transfer experiments were performed for steam-water two-phase flow in a 5 × 5 rod bundle under conditions of total mass fluxes from 80 to 320 kg/m²s, inlet qualities from 0.1 to 0.8, heat fluxes from 3 to 26 W/cm² and a pressure of 3 MPa. Heater rod surface temperatures or heat transfer coefficients predicted by several correlations were compared with experimental data with emphasis on the applicability of the correlations to the present experimental conditions which were pertinent to thermal-hydraulic conditions during a LOCA in a nuclear reactor. The Chen and Biorge et al. correlations underestimated heat transfer coefficients in the pre-dryout region. The Varone-Rohsenow prediction which accounted for the thermal nonequilibrium effect, calculated heater rod surface temperatures relatively well in the post-dryout region over the whole region of the present experimental conditions. The Dittus-Boelter and Groeneveld correlations predicted heater rod surface temperatures relatively well in the post-dryout region under high total mass flux conditions, but underestimated considerably under low total mass flux conditions.     

Investigation of Pre- and Post-Dryout Heat Transfer in Upward Steam-Water Two-Phase Flow at Low Flow Rate

A heat transfer experiment was performed on steam-water two-phase flow in an annular flow path with a uniformly heated rod under the conditions of the mass flow rates from 0.2xlO⁶ to l.Ox 10⁶ kg/m²-h, inlet qualities from 0.5 to 1.0, heat fluxes below 4.7x 10⁵ W/m² and pressure of 31 bar. Dryout of the heater rod surface was observed resulting in the sharp rise of the heater rod surface temperature. Measured heat transfer coefficients were compared with the several empirical and semi-empirical correlations with the emphasis on the applicability of the correlations to the present test conditions being important in the analysis of the thermal hydraulic behavior during a LOCA of a nuclear reactor. The measured heat transfer coefficient in the pre-dryout region is lower than the existing correlations. The cooling of the heat transfer surface by the liquid phase in the post-dryout region is significant, which is neglected in the existing correlations. The heat transfer coefficients calculated for the post-dryout region by the Groeneveld correlation show good agreement with the presently measured results within the accuracy of 0~27%.     

Heat transfer in two-component internal mist cooling: Part II. Mechanistic modeling

The prediction of a mechanistic, three-dimensional, two-phase flow model is compared with experimental heat transfer data presented in the experimental part of this study for steady, internal, nozzle-generated, gas/liquid mist flow in vertical channels. The mechanistic model is based on the modification of the KIVA-3V computer code. The KIVA-3V code has been modified to solve the heat conduction equation in the surrounding structure with either steady or pulsed heat generation simultaneously with the fluid transport equations, and allow modeling of the various channel geometries and droplet injection methods. Among the numerically examined operating and design parameters are: the liquid atomization nozzle design, heat flux, carrier gas velocity and inlet temperature, liquid mass fraction at inlet, and flow direction. Comparison is made between the experimental data for wall and fluid bulk temperatures and heat transfer coefficients, and the predictions of the numerical model. Overall, reasonable agreement is obtained for downward mist flow, in particular at moderate heat fluxes; at high heat fluxes, the model slightly underpredicts the local heat transfer coefficients. For upward mist flow, the model underpredicts the local heat transfer coefficients typically by about 20%, and appears to predict dryout at the test section exit earlier than experiment. Some parametric and sensitivity calculation results are also presented and discussed.     

Heat transfer to a supercritical pressure fluid flowing in sub-bundle channels

Supercritical pressure water cooled reactor (SCWR) has been regarded as an innovative nuclear reactor. For the design and development of the SCWR, heat transfer performance under supercritical pressure is one of the most important indicators. In this paper, experimental data are presented on the heat transfer to a supercritical pressure fluid flowing vertically upward and downward in a small diameter heated tube and two sub-bundle channels with three heater rods and seven heater rods, using HCFC22 as the test fluid. Downstream of grid spacer for the sub-bundles, heat transfer enhancement was observed in the upward flow, but not in the downward flow. The enhancement was remarkable especially when the heat transfer deterioration occurs in the fully developed region unaffected by the spacer. The heat transfer correlation for the downstream region of the spacer was developed in the normal heat transfer of sub-bundles. In the fully developed region for the sub-bundle, occurrence of the heat transfer deterioration was suppressed or degree of the deterioration was moderated. At high mass velocity for downward flow in the seven rod sub-bundle, oscillation of heat transfer was observed in the region of the enthalpy over the pseudocritical point.     

自然循环系统摇摆条件下棒束通道内传热特性研究

棒束燃料元件子通道间流体存在搅混与横向二次流,流动及阻力特性相较矩形通道、圆管等简单通道更为复杂。核动力舰船、船舶、小型浮动核电站等会受到海浪影响,经常处于倾斜、摇摆、垂荡等瞬变运动下。目前的相关研究多集中在低压工况的研究领域,高温高压自然循环运动条件下的研究较少。本文采用实验研究方法,对自然循环系统摇摆条件下棒束通道内流动传热特性进行了研究,获得了过冷沸腾和饱和沸腾两种条件下摇摆角度和摇摆周期对棒束壁面温度变化和传热系数的影响,并获得了摇摆周期内棒束通道内的传热系数计算关系式。结果表明,饱和沸腾传热系数变化比过冷沸腾的剧烈;在本文实验工况范围内,棒表面传热系数波动幅值随着摇摆幅度的增大而增大;摇摆条件下棒束通道过冷沸腾和饱和沸腾工况时均传热系数基本不变。     

Critical heat flux of forced convection boiling in an oscillating acceleration field — III. Reduction mechanism of CHF in subcooled flow boiling

To investigate the effect of variation in acceleration on the critical heat flux (CHF) in subcooled flow boiling, a photographic study was made. The test section was an internally heated vertical annulus with a glass shroud, in which Freon-113 flowed upwardly. The observation was made at a pressure of 3 bar, a mass flux of 920 kg/m²s, an inlet subcooling 45 K and a slightly lower heat flux level than steady CHF. The vertical acceleration was oscillated with amplitude of 0.3g_e and a period of 6 s.At low apparent gravitational acceleration, bubbles generated on the heated surface moved longer along the surface without detachment and coalesced with other bubbles to form large vapor slugs. This causes early CHF, the mechanism of which is dry-out of the liquid film existing between the heated surface and vapor slugs.     

5×5花瓣形燃料棒束组件内单相流动与换热特性数值模拟研究

相较于传统圆柱形燃料棒,花瓣形燃料棒具有安全裕量高等优点,研究其在压水堆运行工况下的热工水力特性具有重要意义。本文通过STAR-CCM+对5×5花瓣形燃料棒束组件进行数值模拟研究,计算并分析了组件内二次流速度、温度、换热系数等关键热工参数,获得了入口流速、螺旋节距对组件内部流动与换热特性的影响规律。计算结果表明：花瓣形燃料棒的螺旋结构可增强冷却剂的横向流动,同一高度上燃料棒表面温度分布具有周期性,增大入口流速可增强燃料棒的表面换热,消除温度分布的不均匀性。此外,螺旋节距大于750 mm,燃料棒换热性能与无扭转的燃料棒相差不大,甚至更低。     

Single-phase convective heat transfer in rod bundles

The convective heat transfer for turbulent flow through rod bundles representative of nuclear fuel rods used in pressurized water reactors is examined. The rod bundles consist of a square array of parallel rods that are held on a constant pitch by support grids spaced axially along the rod bundle. Split-vane pair support grids, which create swirling flow in the rod bundle, as well as disc and standard support grids are investigated. Single-phase convective heat transfer coefficients are measured for flow downstream of support grids in a rod bundle. The rods are heated using direct resistance heating, and a bulk axial flow of air is used to cool the rods in the rod bundle. Air is used as the working fluid instead of water to reduce the power required to heat the rod bundle. Results indicate heat transfer enhancement for up to 10 hydraulic diameters downstream of the support grids. A general correlation is developed to predict the heat transfer development downstream of support grids. In addition, circumferential variations in heat transfer coefficients result in hot streaks that develop on the rods downstream of split-vane pair support grids.     

Heat Transfer to Steam-Water Annular Dispersed Flow in Vertical Annulus

The heat transfer coefficient and slow burnout heat flux were measured for a stream-water annular dispersed upward flow under pressures up to 3.5 ata in an electrically heated vertical annular channel.

An empirical equation was derived for the heat transfer coefficient as function of mass flow rate, steam quality and heat flux. The dominant mechanism of heat transfer to the annular dispersed two-phase flow is forced convection of liquid film on the heater surface even in the region of low steam quality (down to about 0.03). The observed slow burnout heat flux was near the point of intersection of the lines representing liquid film forced convective heat transfer and nucleate boiling heat transfer on the q vs. δT _sat diagram. A dryout mechanism is proposed in which increasingly violent evaporation comes to impede the rewetting of the dry patches generated on the heater surface, which thus spread to cover the whole surface. A maximum value is observed in the slow burnout heat flux plotted against exit steam quality. This can be explained as the effect of heat removal by droplet exchange between liquid film and steam flow.     

Film Boiling Heat Transfer during Reflood Phase in Postulated PWR Loss-of-Coolant Accident

A single heater rod PWR reflood heat transfer experiments and analyses of the PWR- Full Length Emergency Core Heat Transfer (PWR-FLECHT) Group I data were carried out. The objectives of the experiments and the analyses were to evaluate film boiling heat transfer coefficients in the core during reflood phase of a postulated loss-of-coolant accident in pressurized water reactors, and to provide necessary information on heat transfer correlations for development of a safety analysis computer code.

The results of these experiments showed that the film boiling heat transfer coefficients are strongly dependent upon the local subcooling at the quench front. It was found that when the subcooling at the quench front was zero, the saturated film boiling heat transfer coefficients could be expressed by a correlation similar to the Bromley correlation by introducing a representative length which is defined as the distance between the quench front and the elevation at which the coefficients are evaluated. When the subcooling at the quench front is not zero, the subcooled film boiling heat transfer coefficients could be expressed by a simple correlation. This correlation predicted that experimental results within the error band of ±20%.     

Predictive study of the incipient point of net vapor generation in low-flow subcooled boiling

A predictive model of the initial point of net vapor generation, incipient point of net vapor generation (IPNVG) for low-flow subcooled boiling is developed in this paper. The IPNVG established in this model meets both the thermodynamic and hydrodynamic conditions. The thermodynamic condition is described by the heat balance at IPNVG. The amount of heat for steam generation is equal to that for bubble condensation at IPNVG. The force balance of the detached bubbles at IPNVG or the hydrodynamic condition is established to provide the diameter of the detached bubbles and the interfacial heat transfer coefficient for the calculation of heat transfer at IPNVG. This mechanism of the present model makes it applicable to low-flow subcooled boiling. Several coefficients involved in the proposed model are identified by Freon-12 experimental data. This model is compared with the experimental data obtained from different works. The data cover two working media of steam-water and Freon-12, two flow conditions of natural and forced circulations and relatively wide ranges of pressure, mass flux and heat flux. The predictions of this model agree with the data quite well.     

Modifications to COBRA-TF to model dispersed flow film boiling with two flow,four field Eulerian–Eulerian approach – Part 1

In the case of a postulated loss of coolant accident (LOCA) in a nuclear reactor, an accurate prediction of clad temperature is needed to determine the safety margins. During the reflood phase of the LOCA, when the local void fraction is greater than 80% with the wall temperature above minimum film boiling temperature (T_min), the heat transfer process is dispersed flow film boiling (DFFB). This study has been performed to model DFFB in the reflood phase of a LOCA in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) rod bundle. The COBRA-TF computer code is utilized, since it has a detailed reflood package which takes into account the effect of spacer grids on the local heat transfer. The COBRA-TF code has also been improved to include a four field Eulerian–Eulerian modeling for the two-phase dispersed flow film boiling heat transfer regime. The modifications include adding a small droplet field to COBRA-TF as the fourth field. In addition, the spacer grid models of COBRA-TF have been revised and modified. In the first part of the paper, the results of the code predictions are presented by comparing the experimental data from rod bundle heat transfer (RBHT) experiments with the results of code simulations performed with original and modified code. Measurements and calculations for the heater rod, vapor temperatures and quench front progression have been compared and the results are described in detail. The results of the analysis performed with the modified code indicate the improvement in code predictions for the rod surface temperature, vapor temperature and quench front behavior. The results also indicate the need for improvement in the entrainment and interfacial drag models for the drop fields. The effects of spacer grids on the heat transfer, the models improved and developed for spacer grids and the results of the code calculations with these models are described in the part 2 of the paper.     

Transient film boiling under transient conditions related to vapor explosion (effects of transient flow and fragmentation under a shock pressure)

Two fundamental phenomena are significant when a shock pressure interacts with the large scale coarse mixing state. One is an intensive flow and the other is the surface area enhancement due to the disintegration of the hot drops. The effects of these phenomena on the transient heat transfer and behavior of vapor film under a shock pressure are investigated. Transient heat transfer of film boiling from an electrically heated platinum ribbon 2.5 mm wide and 0.15 mm thick was measured immediately after passage of a shock pressure from 0.1 to 0.7 MPa. The heater was set horizontally in a vertical shock tube which was filled with vapor liquid bubbly mixture and kept initially in the film boiling state. That is, the heater corresponds to a typical hot drop and the bubbles around it correspond to the coarse mixture around the drop. The liquid was Freon-113 with an initial void fraction in the range from 0 to 3%. When the shock wave arrives at the heater, intensive transient flow occurs due to collapse of bubbles around the heater. First, the effects of the initial void fraction, the intensity of the shock and the heated wall temperature on the transient heat fluxes and collapse of the vapor film were investigated experimentally and analytically under the shock pressure. Compared with a heated wall in the liquid alone, the transient heat flux at the heated wall increases and the collapse of the vapor film becomes easier in the bubbly mixture due to the transient flow. Effects of surface enhancement during the fragmentation process on the heat transfer rate and transient behavior of vapor film are investigated analytically by application of the newly proposed surface stretch model. It is made clear when the surface area is increasing, the vapor film is apt to collapse and the transient heat transfer is enhanced by the surface stretch.     

环形通道内再淹没过程流动传热现象实验研究

通过可视化实验手段观察了环形通道内再淹没过程两相流动现象,分析总结了再淹没骤冷前沿推进过程中流型和传热机理的演化规律;通过不同工况下两相流动现象的对比,研究了是否加热和入口质量流速对再淹没过程流型和传热过程的影响规律。研究结果表明,在本参数范围内,实验中加热棒是否存在内释热对两相流动现象的影响不显著;而入口质量流速明显影响再淹没流动传热过程,入口质量流速越大,骤冷前沿附近汽化越剧烈,液膜中汽泡含量增加,更容易发生传热机制的转变。      

低压高过冷度下自然循环流动不稳定性实验研究

对具有长直上升段的自然循环系统,开展了流动不稳定性实验研究。同时,详细分析了低压、高入口过冷度条件下典型的流动不稳定现象。实验表明：自然循环系统的结构、流体的热边界条件会影响自然循环的运行特性及流动不稳定性类型。较高入口过冷度下,高热流密度导致系统脱离稳态后,很难重新回到稳定的两相自然循环流动状态。随着热流密度的提高,系统会经历间歇沸腾、复合动态流动不稳定性等状态。依据实验结果得到了高入口过冷度下的不稳定性边界图。在两相振荡期间,自然循环驱动压头和回路阻力的主要影响因素集中在长直上升段和加热段。加热段出口积聚的大量气泡对上、下游流体的强烈挤压作用是流量大幅振荡及逆流的主要原因。     

蒸汽发生器传热管束过冷沸腾区两相流动数值模拟

基于两流体欧拉数学模型结合RPI壁面沸腾模型,利用大型商用CFD软件ANSYS CFX 12.0对蒸汽发生器传热管束过冷沸腾区一次侧、壁面和二次侧耦合传热过程进行了数值模拟。研究了三叶梅花孔支撑板和不同入口过冷度条件下蒸汽发生器传热管束内的流动沸腾现象,得到一、二次侧流场与温度场,二次侧空泡份额分布,支撑板梅花孔局部的流动状况及不同入口过冷度对蒸汽发生器热工水力特性的影响。数值模拟结果表明,三叶梅花孔支撑板的存在及不同入口过冷度对蒸汽发生器传热管束过冷沸腾区域的热工水力特性影响显著。     

Experimental and empirical study of steam condensation heat transfer with a noncondensable gas in a small-diameter vertical tube

An experimental study was performed to investigate local condensation heat transfer coefficients in the presence of a noncondensable gas inside a vertical tube. The data obtained from pure steam and steam/nitrogen mixture condensation experiments were compared to study the effects of noncondensable nitrogen gas on the annular film condensation phenomena. The condenser tube had a relatively small inner diameter of 13 mm (about 1/2-in.). The experimental results demonstrated that the local heat transfer coefficients increased as the inlet steam flow rate increased and the inlet nitrogen gas mass fraction decreased. The results obtained using pure steam and a steam/nitrogen mixture with a low inlet nitrogen gas mass fraction were similar. Therefore, the effects of noncondensable gas on steam condensation were weak in small-diameter condenser tubes.A new correlation was developed to evaluate the condensation heat transfer coefficient inside a vertical tube with noncondensable gas, irrespective of the condenser tube diameter. The new correlation proposed herein is capable of predicting heat transfer rates for tube diameters between 1/2- and 2-in. because of the unique approach of accounting for the heat transfer enhancement via an interfacial shear stress factor.     

Experimental investigation of heat transfer for supercritical pressure water flowing in vertical annular channels

An experiment has recently been completed at Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU) to obtain wall-temperature measurements at supercritical pressures with upward flow of water inside vertical annuli. Two annular test sections were constructed with annular gaps of 4 and 6 mm, respectively, and an internal heater of 8 mm outer diameter. Experimental-parameter ranges covered pressures of 23-28 MPa, mass fluxes of 350-1000 kg/m²/s, heat fluxes of 200-1000 kW/m², and bulk inlet temperatures up to 400 °C. Depending on the flow conditions and heat fluxes, two distinctive heat transfer regimes, referring to as the normal heat transfer and deteriorated heat transfer, have been observed. At similar flow conditions, the heat transfer coefficients for the 6 mm gap annular channel are larger than those for the 4 mm gap annular channel. A strong effect of spiral spacer on heat transfer has been observed with a drastic reduction in wall temperature at locations downstream of the device in the annuli. Two tube-data-based correlations have been assessed against the experimental heat transfer results. The Jackson correlation agrees with the experimental trends and overpredicts slightly the heat transfer coefficients. The Dittus-Boelter correlation is applicable only for the normal heat transfer region but not for the deteriorated heat transfer region.     

Numerical Simulation on Subcooled Boiling Heat Transfer Characteristics of Water-Cooled W/Cu Divertors

In order to realize safe and stable operation of a water-cooled W/Cu divertor under high heating condition,the exact knowledge of its subcooled boiling heat transfer characteristics under different design parameters is crucial.In this paper,subcooled boiling heat transfer in a water-cooled W/Cu divertor was numerically investigated based on computational fluid dynamic(CFD).The boiling heat transfer was simulated based on the Euler homogeneous phase model,and local differences of liquid physical properties were considered under one-sided high heating conditions.The calculated wall temperature was in good agreement with experimental results,with the maximum error of 5%only.On this basis,the void fraction distribution,flow field and heat transfer coefficient(HTC)distribution were obtained.The effects of heat flux,inlet velocity and inlet temperature on temperature distribution and pressure drop of a water-cooled W/Cu divertor were also investigated.These results provide a valuable reference for the thermal-hydraulic design of a water-cooled W/Cu divertor.