Dynamic of vapor bubble growth in fields of variable pressure

A mathematical model for the description of the growth from an initial nucleus of a vapor bubble imersed in liquid, subjected to a loss of pressure is presented. The model is important for analysing LOCA (Loss of Coolant Acident) in P.W.R. type reactors. Several simplifications were made in the phenomenum governing equations. With such simplifications the heat diffusion equation became the determining factor for the bubble growth, and the problem was reduced to solve the heat diffusion equation for semi infinite solid whose surface temperature is a well known function of time (it is supposed that the surface temperature is equal to the saturation temperature of the liquid at the system pressure at a given moment). The model results in an analytical expression for the bubble radius as a function of time. Comparisons with experimental data and previous models were made, with reasonable agreement. (author)