Abstract
For reactor design and safety purposes, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is currently working on the implementation of a predictive transient two-phase flow 4-quadrant rotodynamic pump model in the CATHARE-3 code (Code for Analysis of THermalhydraulics during an Accident of Reactor and safety Evaluation). This paper presents the pump model and its validation in single-phase first quadrant conditions at component scale. Explanations are first given on code architecture, meshing, equations to solve and how to switch from fixed frame to rotating frame and vice versa at impeller endpoints. Then, verification results in an ideal case are compared to Euler equations. Finally, validation results on real cases including the prediction of single-phase first quadrant steady performance curves and the simulation of a fast startup transient are presented.
Highlights
A one-dimensional transient rotodynamic pump model is currently developped at the thermalhydraulic section of CEA Saclay (France)
The present paper describes the 1D-pump model, explains the chosen way to first verify validity of model in an ideal case against Euler theory, validates the 1D-pump results against experimental pump performance characteristics and tests the capacity of the 1D-pump model to simulate fast transients such as 1-second pump startups
A similarity study will be managed by predicting DERAP performances at various rotational speeds
Summary
A validation step: a comparison between 1D-pump real calculation results and experimental performance curves for which deviation and losses models are activated is made. The hypothesis applied to the 1D-pump model in order to correspond to Euler validity domain are the following: (H1) single-phase liquid flow, (H2) steady regime, (H3) no hydraulic losses, (H4) adiabatic walls, (H5) no external mass or energy source or sink, (H6) gravitational acceleration neglected compared to centrifugal acceleration experienced by the fluid circulating in impeller.
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