An assessment of condensation heat transfer correlations for improved analysis of current and advanced reactor containments

With the advancement of the new generation of inherently safe reactors, increasing demands are being made of the containment and its role as a safety system. Of particular importance, is the need for the safety related equipment, located within both the current and advanced containment designs, to operate and perform their intended role in mitigating the sequences of an accident. One parameter which affects the containment atmosphere and the equipment contained therein is condensation heat transfer. The second is a correlation based upon boundary layer theory and includes the effects of sensible heat transfer due to a temperature difference as well as latent heat transfer due to a concentration difference. This paper describes the two condensation heat transfer correlations discussed above as well as the Uchida correlation, evaluates each correlation, and then presents the results of a sensitivity study over a range of environmental conditions. Although the results of each correlation are comparable, the sensitivity of each is not. As the advanced reactor concepts continue to be introduced, an accurate evaluation of the interaction between the equipment, the containment and the environment within the containment is essential to assess their safety