Study of the distributions of flow rate and enthalpy in the sub-channels of a bundle geometry of nuclear reactors in one and two-phase flow

A bibliographic study shows that the experimental studies examined, have been developed to understand the phenomenon acting on the mixing between the sub-channels of which geometries are such these of rod bundles used in some nuclear reactors. Experimental devices and tests have been developed to study the influence of the following parameters, operating conditions, pressure, flow rate, power brought to the bundle and inlet temperature on the distribution of flow rates and vapor content among the different sub-channels. By means of non isokinetic sampling, one has determined the enthalpy of the fluid participating to the mixing between the communicating sub-channels and it has been shown that the value of this enthalpy depends strongly on the type of fluid flow and that this enthalpy cannot be either the enthalpy of one of the two sub-channels, nor (always) an average of these two enthalpies. The experimental results have been compared with calculations developed with the code FLICA, concerning the mass velocity distribution, the exchange term of linear momentum, and the variation of the transversal enthalpy with regard to the type of fluid flow. A study of local void ratio measurement, by means of optical probes, has been proposed. The present study has been carried out with a smooth geometry