Improving performance of two-group interfacial area transport equation models using genetic algorithms and high resolution experimental data

In the two-fluid transport model, the coupling of mass, momentum and energy transfer between phases is highly dependent on interfacial area transfer terms. Several research efforts in the past have been focused on the development of an interfacial area transport equation model (IATE), in order to eliminate the drawbacks of static flow regime maps currently used in best-estimate thermal-hydraulic system codes. The IATE attempts to model the dynamics that are involved in two phase flows by accounting for the different interaction mechanisms affecting bubble transport in the flow. In general, current IATE models perform poorly in high void fraction flow regimes. As both models depend on closure relations that require empirically determined coefficients, a genetic algorithm is implemented to study their optimization. The preliminary study indicates that improvements are achievable by application of the genetic algorithm. Optimization of coefficients for an entire set of high-resolution wire mesh sensor (WMS) data provided a single set of optimal coefficients. The application of WMS-optimized coefficients to external tests improved IATE performance for similar hydraulic diameters and provided a neutral change in performance for significantly smaller/larger hydraulic diameters. This is a crucial outcome as an optimized set of coefficients that provide significant improvement for a subset of experimental data - is shown to benefit performance in external data for which the coefficients are not specifically optimized. (authors)