Effects of loss of heat sink transient on flow characteristics in a closed natural circulation system

Abstract

Flow characteristics during loss of coolant to the heat exchanger (HX) via the secondary loop cold leg of a natural circulation (NC) test facility referred here as loss of heat sink transient (LOHS) in a closed rectangular NC system having a single heated channel at two different heating powers and system pressures has been investigated experimentally. Two LOHS experiments (LOHS-1 and LOHS-2) were conducted in a well dimensioned closed loop NC test facility designed to represent the primary system of a nuclear reactor. Operating conditions were set and maintained at 6.0 kW and 9.0 kW with system pressures of 0.2 MPa and 0.5 MPa respectively for both single-phase and single-to-two-phase flow transition to determine their thermal hydraulic responses at these predetermined parameters. The transients were initiated by closing the cold leg of the secondary loop supplying coolant to the tube-in-shell heat exchanger while NC flow phenomena were monitored at each vital section along the flow map based on the pre-determined inlet operating conditions. LOHS experiment stops when critical heat flux (CHF) occurs or heat exchanger outlet (HXoutlet) temperature rises too high to approximately equal its inlet temperature. Results were acquired using a system-design platform and development environment LabVIEW, programmed in a dedicated computer that was interfaced with the coupled sensors in the measuring devices. Common computational tools which include MATLAB, Ms Excel and Origin software were used for the analysis of the acquired data. Results at the inlet and outlet of heated sections as well as the inlet and outlet of condensers of both tests were analyzed and discussed in details at various flow regimes with the associated phenomena. It is concluded that while stable flow was maintained before transient with slug flow occurring in the heating channel, the system experienced transient stability resulting in steady temperature increase and subsequently drops into an instability region when the transient scenario was activated. In addition, the NC system transited into stable two-phase flow and further loses stability when HXoutlet temperature surges to its inlet value with CHF occurrence. These results are presented to contribute to a more extensive utilization of NC systems and understanding of flow behavior during LOHS in advanced reactors.