Experimental and analytical study of the effects of noncondensable gas in a passive condenser system

Passive Containment Cooling System (PCCS) of the Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (SBWR) is a passive condenser system which is designed to remove energy from the reactor containment during a postulated reactor accident. The presence of noncondensable gas in the vapor can greatly reduce the performance of condensers. Hence a detailed knowledge of the heat removal performance of the PCCS in the presence of noncondensable gas is crucial for the safety and design optimization of the SBWR. The purpose of the present study is the experimental and theoretical investigation of the effects of noncondensable gas in a passive condenser system. Condensation experiments were performed for a vertical tube submerged in water pool. The present experimental data provide a new database for complete condensation, cyclic venting and through flow modes of the passive condenser. Cyclic venting mode was simulated by a control volume analysis. Analysis results showed that venting period decreases with noncondensable gas fraction. It was found that inception of venting can occur before the condenser is fully filled with noncondensable gas. A boundary layer model was developed for the prediction of the film condensation with noncondensable gas in a vertical tube. Full set of the governing equations for the liquid film and vapor-gas mixture regions were solved. A heat and mass analogy model was also developed with a specific purpose for use in the thermal hydraulic system analysis code. In the vapor-gas mixture region, general momentum, heat and mass transport relations derived by analytic method were used with the consideration of surface suction effect. The predictions from the models were compared with the experimental data and the agreement was satisfactory. A mechanistic condensation correlation was developed based on the experimental data and the analysis results. It contains all the heat transfer components in its functional relationships. New correlation can provide accurate estimation of local condensation heat transfer coefficient for wide range of operating parameters. The assessment of wall condensation models in RELAP5 code was performed. Experimental conditions were simulated with RELAP5. Code simulation showed quite different results compared with data. Therefore, the condensation model in RELAP5 needs to be improved