Two-fluid model of two-phase flow in a pin bundle of a nuclear reactor

Abstract

By considering two-phase flow as a field which is subdivided into two turbulent single-phase regions with moving boundaries separating the two constituent phases, such that the differential balances for three-dimensional turbulent flow hold for each subregion and for the interface, we perform the Eulerian area averaging over the cross-sectional area of each phase in a given channel and segment averaging of transverse momentum equation along the phase intercepts at the interchannel boundaries. To simplify the governing equations obtained as a result of these operations, we invoke the assumption that the motion of the fluid in each phase is dominantly in axial direction, that is the transverse components of velocity are small compared to axial components. We further assume that the variation of axial component of velocity within a channel is much stronger than the variation along the axial direction. We also assume that similar arguments can also be applied to the variation of enthalpy in a channel. As a result of these considerations, we obtain two sets of continuity, momentum, and energy equations describing motion of each phase in the axial direction. The phasic interaction terms which appear in these equations are governed by interfacial transfer conditions obtained from interface balances. The segment-averaged transverse-momentum equation for each phase provides the governing equation for cross flow.