Vertical steam generator thermal-hydraulics: CMFD numerical simulation and verification

Abstract

The need for the investigation of complex multidimensional two-phase flow conditions on the vertical steam generator shell side and thermal and hydraulic interactions of two-phase flow with the steam generator's tube bundle and other internals, lead to the application of advanced computational methods. The Computational Multi-Fluid Dynamics (CMFD) codes provide detailed insight into two-phase flow process parameters. The code 3D ANA was developed for the numerical simulations and analyses of steam generators. It has been already successfully applied to the investigation of horizontal steam generator thermal hydraulics. In this study, the 3D ANA code is verified for the thermal hydraulic conditions of the vertical steam generator by numerical simulation of the experimental conditions performed at the large-scale test facility. The code is based on the two-fluid model and the porous media approach, which enable calculation of both liquid and vapour velocity fields, void fraction distribution and two-phase mixture pressure field.