Studies of thermal-hydrodynamic flow instability, (3)

In the flow system in which large density change occurs midway, sometimes steady flow cannot be maintained according to the conditions, and pulsating flow or the scamper of flow occurs. This phenomenon is called flow instability, and is noticed as one of the causes to obstruct the normal operation in boilers, BWRs and the steam generators for FBRs with parallel evaporating tube system. In the pulsating instability, there are density wave oscillation and pressure wave oscillation. The author has studied the density wave oscillation occurring in the steam generators for FBRs and in this paper, the role played by two-phase flow regarding the occurrence of flow instability, and the effect of the existence of interphase slip on the role played by two-phase flow are reported. The theoretical analysis and the results of the analysis taking a steam generator heated with sodium as the example are described. Regarding flow stability, two-phase flow part generates the variation of weight velocity with different phase in steam single phase part, accepting enthalpy variation in water single phase part. In this action, the effect of interphase slip was observed, and the variation of reverse phase is apt to occur in slip flow as compared with homogeneous flow. Accordingly, flow instability is apt to occur in slip flow. (Kako, I.)