Experimental And Analytical Study Of Stratification In A Horizontal Fuel Channel

Abstract

EPDC has been performing, since 1979, the steady-state flow and blowdown/reflooding experiments using the horizontal channels which simulate the CANDU-600 fuel channels, in order to clarify the thermalhydrualic behaviour expected in the CANDU-600 reactor under abnormal conditions including LOCA conditions. Some of the experimental results were presented at the past CNS Conferences [1][2].

This paper describes the result of our studies on the flow stratification thresholds based on the measurements obtained from the steady-state flow experiments and some comparative measures with a few existing thresholds reported to date [3][4]. In addition the result of our comparative studies covering the heater pin surface temperature measurements and the calculations by several stratified models is presented in this paper.