E28

Study on
Sodium Cavitation
for Fast Reactors (III)
Analysis of Cavitation with FLUENT
and Erosion Experiment

Teddy Ardiansyah, Minoru Takahashi, Makoto Asaba,

Kuniaki Miura
AESJ Annual Meeting
Ibaraki University, Mito, Ibaraki
March 27, 2010
 Background
• For the development of economic (SFR), reactor
vessel and components are made compact,
which leads to fast flow of a coolant.
• Cavitation is possible to occur due to fast flow
and low static pressure.
• Cavitation could lead to a severe damage of the
inner part of the sodium loop system, neutronic
and hydrodynamic problems.

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 Purpose
• To analyze cavitation in water and liquid
sodium using CFD code as well as erosion
phenomena caused by cavitation in liquid
sodium for 600 hours.

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 Venturi test section

Cavitation coefficient

K = cavitation coefficient
ρ = water/sodium density
P0 = downstream static pressure
Pv = water/sodium vapor pressure
V1 = velocity in venturi region
V0 = velocity in downstream region 4
 Experimental conditions
• Sodium
– T: 200-400°C
– Pstag: 0.06-0.18 MPa-a
• Water
– Room temperature
– Pstag: 0.06-0.12 MPa-a

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Developed cavitation observed by high speed camera (8,000 fps),
Vinlet: 1.514 m/s, Pds: 0.124 MPa-a, 13oC, K: 0.98 6
Numerical calculation of cavitation
• Assumptions
– The working fluid is liquid and gas phase
(vapor and non-condensable gas).
– The formation and collapse of bubbles are
taken into account in the model.
– The mass fraction of non-condensable gas is
known in advance.

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Numerical calculation (1)
• Equations used in the calculation
– Continuity equation for mixture model
∂
∂t
( )
(ρ m ) + ∇ . ρ m υ m = 0
– Momentum equation for mixture model

∂
∂t
( ) ( ) ⎡ ⎛ T
⎞
ρ mυ m + ∇. ρ mυ mυ m = −∇p + ∇.⎢ μ m ⎜ ∇υ m + ∇υ m ⎟⎥
⎣ ⎝ ⎠⎦
⎤

⎛ n ⎞
+ ρ m g + F + ∇.⎜ ∑ α k ρ k υ dr ,k υ dr ,k ⎟
⎝ k =1 ⎠
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Numerical calculation (2)
• Equations used in the calculation
– Energy equation for mixture model

∂ n
( )
(α k ρ k Ek ) + ∇.∑ α k υ k (ρ k Ek + p ) = ∇.(k eff ∇T ) + S E
n

∑
∂t k =1 k =1

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Numerical calculation (3)
• Based on full cavitation model by Singhal,
et al.
– Transport equation of vapor mass fraction, f
∂
∂t
( )
(ρmf ) + ∇ ρmvv f = ∇(γ∇f ) + Re − Rc
– From generalized Rayleigh-Plesset equation for
bubble dynamics with limiting bubble size, Re and
Rc are derived
pB ( t ) − p∞ ( t ) d 2 R 3 ⎛ dR ⎞ 4υ L dR 2 S
2

=R 2 + ⎜ ⎟ + +
ρL dt 2 ⎝ dt ⎠ R dt ρ L R
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Numerical calculation (4)
• When p < pv
2( pv − p )
Re = Ce
k
ρl ρ v (1 − fv − f g )
σ 3 ρl

• When p > pv
k 2( pv − p )
Rc = Cc ρl ρ v fv
σ 3 ρl

• empirical coefficient Ce = 0.02 Cc = 0.01

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 Calculated condition
• No slip velocity (vl-vg=0)
• Non-condensable gas fraction:
– Sodium: 1, 3, 9 ppm (argon)
– Water: 9, 15 and 45 ppm (air)
• Boundary condition:
– fixed inlet velocity and fixed outlet pressure
(based on experimental measurements)

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13
 Experiment Calculated

1.3 No cavitation (experiment) 1.3 No cavitation (calculated)

Cavitation (experiment) Cavitation (calculated)

1.2 1.2

K(-)
K(-)

1.1 1.1

1 1
Sodium 400°C Beta: 1 ppm
0.9 Pstag: 0.141 MPa-a (exp) 0.9 Sodium 400°C
12 13 14 15 16 12 13 14 15 16
Venturi velocity (m/s) Venturi velocity (m/s)

No cavitation (experiment) No cavitation (calculated)

Cavitation (experiment) Cavitation (calculated)
3 3
K(-)
K(-)

2 2

1 1
Water 10.8-13.0°C Beta: 45 ppm
Water 10.8-13.0°C
Pstag: 0.062 MPa-a (exp)
0 0
10 15 20 10 15 14 20
Venturi velocity (m/s) Venturi velocity (m/s)
Contours of void fraction in sodium for K: 0.92;
T: 400°C; and 3 ppm of non-condensable gas. 15
 Erosion experiment
• Temperature of sodium: 200°C
• Flow rate: 27~28L/min
• Pressure: 0.05~0.1Kg/cm2 (at expansion
tank)
• Total: 600 hours
• K: 0.59~0.51 (developed cavitation)

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X-ray of venturi test section (left) and
cutted parts of test section (right). 17
 No.6 x 50 No.7 x 100

100μm 100μm 30μm

No.6 Outlet No.6 Outlet No.6 Outlet

Optical micrograph (up) and SEM of the test section

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(bottom).
 Conclusion
• Onset cavitations are influenced by non-
condensable gas.
• Non-condensable gas fraction in liquid
sodium is lower than in water because of
the different solubility.
• Erosion occurred at downstream of the
test section in sodium cavitation for 600 h.

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Thank You for
Your Attention.