Heat Transfer Coefficient Measurement for Downward-Facing Heat Transfer on Curved Rectangular Water Channel

Abstract

In-Vessel Retention by External Reactor Vessel Cooling (IVR-ERVC) is method of removing the decay heat by cooling reactor vessel after corium relocation, and is also one of severe accident management strategies. Estimating heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) is important to evaluate heat transfer capability of the ERVC. In this study, the HTCs of outer wall of reactor vessel lower head were experimentally measured under the IVR-ERVC situation of Large Loss of Coolant Accident (LLOCA) condition. Experimental equipment was designed to simulate flow boiling condition of ERVC natural circulation, and based on APR+ design. This study focused on effects of real reactor vessel geometry (2.5 m of radius curvature) and material (SA508) for the HTCs. Curved rectangular water channel (test section) was design to simulate water channel which is between the reactor vessel lower head outer wall and thermal insulator. Radius curvature, length, width and gap size of the test section were respectively 2.5 m, 1 m, 0.07 m and 0.15 m. Two connection parts were connected at inlet and outlet of the test section to maintain fluid flow condition, and its cross section geometry was same with one of test section. To simulate vessel lower head outer wall, thin SA508 plate was used as main heater, and test section supported the main heater. Thickness, width, length and radius curvature of the main heater were 1.2 mm, 0.07 m, 1 m and 2.5 m respectively. The main heater was heated by DC rectifier, and applied heat flux was under CHF value. The test section was changed for each experiment. The HTCs of whole reactor vessel lower head (bottom: 0 ° and top: 90 °) were measured by inclining the test section, and experiments were conducted at four angular ranges; 0–22.5, 22.5–45, 45–67.5 and 67.5–90 °. DI water was used as working fluid in this experiment, and all experiments were conducted at 400 kg/m2s of constant mass flux with atmospheric pressure. The working fluid temperatures were measured at two point of water loop by K-type thermocouple. The main heater surface temperatures were measured by IR camera. The main heater was coated by carbon spray to make uniform surface emissivity, and the IR camera emissivity calibration was also conducted with the coated main heater. The HTCs were calculated by measured main heater surface temperature. In this research, the HTC results of 10, 30, 60 and 90 ° inclination angle were presented, and were plotted with wall super heat.