Rewetting front propagation under anticipated operational occurrences for boiling water reactors - Development of two-dimensional analytical model

Abstract

An analytical model to predict a rewetting velocity applicable to high pressure and high flow rate condition during anticipated operational occurrences (AOOs) is developed by applying Wiener-Hopf technique coupled with appropriate kernel substitutions. The model considers the effects of enhanced cooling in the vicinity to liquid film front termed ''precursory cooling'' and heat input from fuel pellets on back side of wall as boundary conditions of a heat conduction equation. A simplified two-dimensional model neglecting an effect of axial heat conduction is also proposed. It is found through the comparison among the models and experimental data that the contribution of the heat conduction in the wall-depth direction is essential in the prediction of the rewetting velocity at the thermal-hydraulic condition simulating AOOs and the axial heat conduction has little influence when an enhanced heat transfer coefficient in the dried-out region is appropriately given as a function of distance from the liquid film front. © 2013 Atomic Energy Society of Japan. All rights reserved.