Development of analytical and numerical models associated to the condensation phenomenon by direct contact in PWR reactor relief tank

The phenomenon of vapor injection in relief tanks presents relevance in the design of light water reactors, be they of the type pressurized water reactor (PWR) or boiling water reactor (BWR). This phenomenon allows the rapid absorption of the vapor injected in a mass of water, by condensation. Since this vapor may contain chemical or radiological contaminants that do not allow its discharge directly in the environment, it must be collected. The condensation avoids the design of devices and equipment, which need to consider the high vapor pressure, and allows the vapor to be collected. The rapidity with which the condensation occurs is the result of physical processes that occur at the interface of steam and water. These processes do not yet have a defined numerical and analytical model. In 1972 a semi-empirical model was proposed, which has, since then, evolved. Nevertheless, up to the present moment, there is no definitive model that intends to cover every extension of the experimental conditions. These models are strongly dependent on the mass flow through the steam and water interface, however, up to date, there is no expression that determines this mass flow. For the sake of this, the value of 275 kg / m2 / s has been assumed as ^representative of the order of magnitude of the phenomenon up to the present moment. In this work, a method of analytical calculation of mass flow is proposed, considering as premise the isotropy of the injection, and the development of the 1^st and 2^nd laws of thermodynamics. Still, the phenomenon is analyzed experimentally, by means of the analysis of the data produced in the experiment of Loop 150, realized in dependencies of the Centro Tecnológico da Marinha em São Paulo. Finally, a numerical model in commercial software was developed to complement the analysis. The result is proven with an isentropic mass flow formulation, which satisfactorily corrected the mass used in the former semi-empirical models. Such verification was performed through a series of data and confrontation with experimental data in the literature. (author)