Evaluation of friction-factor correlations at supercritical water conditions in support of the Canadian SCWR

Abstract

Canada is participating in the Generation IV International Forum with the main focus on the pressure-tube-type supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) concept. The Canadian SCWR concept is a heavy-water moderated and light-water-cooled reactor. The R&D framework for the development of the Canadian SCWR fuel-assembly concept includes experiments and analyses, including subchannel code development and applications. This paper focuses on the modeling of the hydraulic resistance under supercritical conditions, with or without the wire-wrap spacers. More specifically, it presents an assessment of three friction factor correlations developed for supercritical conditions. A literature survey of wire-wrap hydraulic models is presented. The assessment of the supercritical friction factor correlations and wire-wrap hydraulic models is carried out using three pressure drop experimental datasets, using the subchannel code ASSERT-PV V3.2m2.