Numerical Analysis of Subcooled Water Flashing Flow From a Pressurized Water Reactor Steam Generator Through an Abruptly Broken Main Feed Water Pipe

Abstract

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was performed to investigate the hydraulic response of the flow field inside the pressurized water reactor (PWR) steam generator (SG) secondary side and the connected part of main feed water pipe to an abrupt main feed water line break (FWLB) accident. To realistically analyze the transient flow field situation, the flow field was assumed to be occupied initially by highly compressed subcooled water except that the upper part of the SG secondary side where steam occupied as in the practical case and the break was assumed to occur at the circumferential weld line between the feed water nozzle and the main feed water pipe. This would result in a subcooled water flashing flow from the SG through the short-broken pipe end to the surrounding atmosphere, which was numerically simulated in this study. Typical results of the prediction in terms of the fluid transient velocity and pressure were illustrated and discussed. To examine the physical validity of the present numerical simulation of the subcooled water flashing flow, the transient mass flow rates predicted in this study were compared with the other previous numerical predictions based on the subcooled water nonflashing (no phase change) flow or saturated water flashing flow assumptions and the prediction by a simple analysis method.