The characteristics of a pump at nearly saturated state

A set of experiments using a 1/10 scale model pump which was manufactured to simulate performance of reactor coolant pump (RCP) of Y.G.N 3 and 4, was executed in single phase (at atmospheric pressure and room temperature) and near-saturation (300∼600 kPa). The pump characteristics in single phase flow was similar to the characteristics of the RCP. The pump characteristics curves at nearly saturated state were correlated in terms of flow coefficient and head coefficient for subcooled temperature using the cavitation number defined as Ca=3DυlhfgΔTsub / υg(πND)2T, which can be predicted the cavitation possibility. The pump behavior around the saturated temperature almost consists with single phase behavior until the cavitation occurs. When cavitation occurs (when the flow coefficient is about 0.12), the pump head rapidly degrades. In this situation, subcooled temperature is about 1.8∼8 deg C and cavitation number of model pump is 1.0∼1.7. (author)