Applicability of Steady State Critical Heat Flux Data to Transient Processes

Abstract

An accurate prediction of critical heat flux (CHF) in the 37-element fuel bundle during postulated accident events in CANDU reactor is required to assure fuel sheath integrity. A series of steady-state experiments have been performed using full-scale bundle simulators. To confirm the applicability of the steady-state CHF values in transient processes, analyses to the existing experimental results have been performed in Canadian Nuclear Industry. This work attempts to demonstrate the applicability of steady-state CHF values in transient analyses by using a simple mathematical model based on reasonable assumptions.