Abstract
The paper presents the results obtained with a spool piece (SP) made of a Venturi flow meter (VMF) and an Electrical Capacitance Probe (ECP) in stratified two-phase flow. The objective is to determine the relationship between the test measurements and the physical characteristics of the flow such as superficial velocities, density and void fraction. The outputs of the ECP are electrical signals proportional to the void fraction between the electrodes; the parameters measured by the VFM are the total and the irreversible pressure losses of the two- phase mixture. The fluids are air and demineralized water at ambient conditions. The flow rates are in the range of 0,065-0,099 kg/s for air and 0- 0,039 kg/s (0-140 l/h) for water. The flow patterns recognized during the experiments are stratified, dispersed and annular flow. The presence of the VFM plays an important role on the alteration of the flow pattern due to wall flow detachment phenomena. The signals of differential pressure of the VFM in horizontal configuration are strongly dependent on the superficial velocities and on the flow pattern because of a lower symmetry of the flow with respect to the vertical configuration.
Highlights
In the framework of integral test facilities for the thermal-hydraulic simulation of nuclear reactors, with particular emphasis to small modular reactors, there is a large interest in the characterization of the behaviour of the system in case of design basis accidents
A preliminary methodology and the procedures to characterize a spool piece constituted by a Venturi flow meter and an Electrical Capacitance Probe for the experimental estimation of the flow rates of the phases in a horizontal two phase flow have been presented
The results obtained show the good capability of the spool piece to measure the necessary physical quantities suitable for the estimation of the flow rates
Summary
In the framework of integral test facilities for the thermal-hydraulic simulation of nuclear reactors, with particular emphasis to small modular reactors, there is a large interest in the characterization of the behaviour of the system in case of design basis accidents. Test facility A picture of the experimental facility used for the characterization of the SP made of the Venturi flow meter and the Electrical Capacitance Probe is shown in figure 1 It consists of an air blower, the demineralized feedwater system, an air-water mixer, two quick closing valves, a calibrated orifice, an open discharge volume, additional instrumentation and the SP. The RMS value of the voltage drop between an input electrode i and a receiving electrode j when a single phase is present in the test section is proportional to the electrical properties of the medium, its thermodynamic conditions and the angular distance between the electrodes (see equations 1 and 2 for liquid water and air respectively). For the same couple of flow rates of the liquid and gas phases two separate tests have been carried out in order to assess the repeatability of the measurements
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