Recommended set of interfacial drag correlations for the two-phase flow under thermal–hydraulic conditions of a horizontal steam generator

Abstract

A set of interfacial drag correlations is proposed for describing two-phase flows under thermal–hydraulic conditions of a horizontal steam generator (SG). This set of correlations takes into account the peculiarities of the two-phase flow in different regions of the SG. Four characteristic regions are considered: tube bundles, tube-free zones in the SG lower part, zone between the outlet from the tube bundles and the submerged perforated sheet (SPS), and the SG upper part. The flow regime map contains bubbly flow, cap-bubbly flow, churn-turbulent flow and mist flow. A two-group bubbly flow model is used to describe bubbly and cap-bubbly flows in the SG corridors/gaps and in the bubbling layer above the SPS. Churn-turbulent flow occurs at the outlet from the tube bundles. In zones with a high void fraction under the SPS and above the SPS, mist flow occurs as a result of steam escaping from the interface with water droplets being captured and carried up. Some coefficients of the correlations are adjusted on experimental data. The detailed description of the set of interfacial drag correlations is presented in the paper. These correlations are implemented in the STEG-M code, which is validated on the experimental data of the void fraction obtained at two slice models of a horizontal SG (PGV and PGV-1500) and the full-scale WWER-1000 SG. Good agreement between the calculated and experimental data is obtained. The mean absolute deviation of the void fractions is <5.0%.