Study on improvement for the prediction accuracy of natural circulation flow rate by investigating void fraction correlation

Natural circulation is a key technology for developing the molten core cooling system without an external power source from the lessons of the severe accident at Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. This study is devoted to quantify the void fraction which is an important parameter for the driving force of natural circulation flow, and to evaluate the effect of the void fraction correlation on the prediction accuracy of the natural circulation flow rate. Test was conducted at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, using the upward air–water two phase flow. Vertical tubes with an inner diameter of 36 and 25 mm were used as the test section. The void fraction was measured by three different methods: quick-closing valve method, pressure drop method, and conductive void-probe method. The following conclusions are obtained from this study: (1) The data of the natural circulation flow rate, void fraction and pressure drop for the upward air–water two phase flow at atmospheric pressure and room temperature were obtained to develop and verify the new model. (2) By improving the void correlation, it was found that the prediction accuracy of the natural circulation flow rate could be improved by about 10% to 5%, that is, the prediction error can be halved in the range of this study. (3) The natural circulation flow rate for 25 mm test section was saturated with increasing the air flow rate at higher air flow condition. The model cannot predict this tendency. From the point of design of the actual molten core cooling system, the model improvements in this region are necessary in the future.