Modeling analyses of two-phase flow instabilities for straight and helical tubes in nuclear power plants

Highlights: • Two-phase flow instabilities in straight and helical tubes were studied. • The effects of system pressure, mass flux, inlet subcooling on DWO were studied. • The simulation results are consistent with the experimental results. • The RELAP5 results are consistent with frequency domain method results. - Abstract: The effects of system pressure, mass flux and inlet subcooling on two-phase flow instability for the test section consisted of two heated straight channels or two helical channels are studied by means of RELAP5/MOD3.3 and multi-variable frequency domain control theory. The experimental data in two straight channels are used to verify the RELAP5 and multi-variable frequency domain control theory results. The thermal hydraulic behaviors and parametric effects are simulated and compared with the experimental data. The RELAP5 results show that the flow stability increases with the system pressure, mass velocity, and inlet subcooling at high subcoolings. The frequency domain theory presents the same results as those given by the time domain theory (RELAP5). The effects of system pressure, mass velocity and inlet subcooling are simulated to find the difference between the straight and the helical tube flows. The RELAP5 and the multi-variable frequency domain control theory are used in modeling and simulating density wave oscillation to study their advantages and disadvantages in straight and helical tubes.