Hisato Watakabe

Resistance and Fluctuating Pressures of a Large Elbow in High Reynolds Numbers

For the Japan Atomic Energy Agency sodium-cooled fast reactor, an experimental study on the fluctuating pressure of the hot legs was carried out with tests in a 1/3-scale model. The total resistance coefficient is consistent with published data, and, additionally, our research has given data up to the Reynolds number of 8.0×106. The flow visualization and velocity measurement confirmed the independence of the flow on the Reynolds number. Pressures on the pipe wall were statistically examined to predict the characteristics of fluctuating pressures of the hot legs. It reveals that generation of fluctuating pressure is dominant on the boundary of flow separation and reattachment.

Characteristics of the flow-controlled accumulator

Mitsubishi is developing a new type of accumulator incorporating the technology of fluidics as one of the seeds for the improved safety of the newly constructed pressurized water reactor plants. This accumulator employs a vortex flow control device, called a vortex damper, as a fluidic device to simplify the safety systems. A fundamental experimental study with a one-fifth scale model and confirmation tests with a one-third scale model to develop the vortex damper have been carried out, and satisfactory results have been achieved. The results of the confirmation tests under the prototype pressure conditions agree well with the basic tests. The flow rate ratio can be 5 to 6. The pressure loss coefficient in the large flow rate period is 8. A cavitation factor is the main parameter of the flow rate coefficient.

Flow-Induced Vibration of a Large-Diameter Elbow Piping Based on Random Force Measurement Caused by Conveying Fluid: Visualization Test Results

A 1/3 scale flow-induced vibration test facility that simulates the hot-leg piping of the JNC sodium-cooled fast reactor (JSFR) is used to investigate the pressure fluctuations of the pipe, where the high velocity fluid flows inside the piping. By the measurement of the pressure drop in the elbow piping while changing the Reynolds number, the similarity law of this model is confirmed. To evaluate the flow-induced vibrations for the hot-leg and cold-leg pipes, the random force distributions along the pipe and their correlations are measured with pressure sensors in a water loop. It is found that a flow velocity-dependent periodic phenomenon in the rear region of the elbow, and the maximum flow-induced random vibration force in the pipe are observed in the region of flow separation downstream the elbow. Finally, a design method is proposed with power spectral densities of the pressure fluctuations classified into four sections, correlation lengths in the axial direction divided into three sections, and with correlation lengths in the tangential direction into four sections.Copyright