A Method For Calculating CANDU Fuel Channel Flow Following Reactor Inlet Header Stratification

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William C. Rowman
Jerry M. Hopwood

Abstract

An analytical technique has been developed which, in conjunction with heat transport system thermalhydraulic computer code predictions, estimates individual channel coolant flows following inlet header stratification in CANDU reactors. The method permits channel flow, and hence fuel cooling, to be predicted during certain postulated accidents, after heat transport flows have degraded to the point where steam/liquid phase separation occurs a t the inlet header. In the method, the channels fed by the inlet header are divided into two groups; one fed by steam and one fed by liquid. The numbers of channels in each group are calculated based on predicted total inflow of steam and water to the reactor header, and on the pressure-drop/flow characteristics of steam-fed and liquid-fed channels respectively. The technique has been applied t o calculate channel flows during a hypothetical small loss of coolant accident coupled with unavailable emergency coolant injection. Steam flows averaging about 0.1 kg/s are predicted following inlet header stratification.

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