Experimental study on simulated molten jet-coolant interactions

Heat Transfer Considerations on the Spontaneous Triggering of Vapor Explosions—A Review

Vapor explosions have been investigated both theoretically and experimentally for several decades, focusing either on the vapor film, or on mechanical aspects. Where the main interest for industry lies in the safety risks of such an event, fundamental research is focusing on all partial processes that occur during a vapor explosion. In this paper, vapor explosions are discussed from a heat transfer point of view. Generally accepted knowledge of heat transfer between hot surfaces and liquids is compared to early investigations regarding the origin of vapor explosions. Both steady state and transient models are discussed. The review of available literature suggests that vapor explosions trigger spontaneously by the collapse of the boiling film. Better understanding of the fundamental aspects of vapor explosions might give rise to future ideas on how to avoid them.

Color-gradient lattice Boltzmann model with nonorthogonal central moments: Hydrodynamic melt-jet breakup simulations

We develop a lattice Boltzmann (LB) model for immiscible two-phase flow simulations with central moments (CMs). This successfully combines a three-dimensional nonorthogonal CM-based LB scheme [De Rosis, Phys. Rev. E 95, 013310 (2017)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.95.013310] with our previous color-gradient LB model [Saito, Abe, and Koyama, Phys. Rev. E 96, 013317 (2017)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.96.013317]. Hydrodynamic melt-jet breakup simulations show that the proposed model is significantly more stable, even for flow with extremely high Reynolds numbers, up to O(10^{6}). This enables us to investigate the phenomena expected under actual reactor conditions.

Lattice Boltzmann modeling and simulation of liquid jet breakup

A three-dimensional color-fluid lattice Boltzmann model for immiscible two-phase flows is developed in the framework of a three-dimensional 27-velocity (D3Q27) lattice. The collision operator comprises the D3Q27 versions of three suboperators: a multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) collision operator, a generalized Liu-Valocchi-Kang perturbation operator, and a Latva-Kokko-Rothman recoloring operator. A D3Q27 version of an enhanced equilibrium distribution function is also incorporated into this model to improve the Galilean invariance. Three types of numerical tests, namely, a static droplet, an oscillating droplet, and the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, show a good agreement with analytical solutions and numerical simulations. Following these numerical tests, this model is applied to liquid-jet-breakup simulations. The simulation conditions are matched to the conditions of the previous experiments. In this case, numerical stability is maintained throughout the simulation, although the kinematic viscosity for the continuous phase is set as low as 1.8×10^{-4}, in which case the corresponding Reynolds number is 3.4×10^{3}; the developed lattice Boltzmann model based on the D3Q27 lattice enables us to perform the simulation with parameters directly matched to the experiments. The jet's liquid column transitions from an asymmetrical to an axisymmetrical shape, and entrainment occurs from the side of the jet. The measured time history of the jet's leading-edge position shows a good agreement with the experiments. Finally, the reproducibility of the regime map for liquid-liquid systems is assessed. The present lattice Boltzmann simulations well reproduce the characteristics of predicted regimes, including varicose breakup, sinuous breakup, and atomization.

SIMMER-III Analyses of Local Fuel-Coolant Interactions in a Simulated Molten Fuel Pool: Effect of Coolant Quantity

Studies on local fuel-coolant interactions (FCI) in a molten pool are important for the analyses of severe accidents that could occur for sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). To clarify the mechanisms underlying this interaction, in recent years, several experimental tests, with comparatively larger difference in coolant volumes, were conducted at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency by delivering a given quantity of water into a molten pool formed with a low-melting-point alloy. In this study, to further understand this interaction, interaction characteristics including the pressure buildup as well as mechanical energy release and its conversion efficiency are investigated using the SIMMER-III, an advanced fast reactor safety analysis code. It is found that the SIMMER-III code not only reasonably simulates the transient pressure and temperature variations during local FCIs, but also supports the limited tendency of pressurization and resultant mechanical energy release as observed from experiments when the volume of water delivered into the pool increases. The performed analyses also suggest that the most probable reason leading to such limited tendency should be primarily due to an isolation effect of vapor bubbles generated at the water-melt interface.