Study on the Effect of Structural Parameters of Volume Control Tank on Gas–Liquid Mass Transfer

Jian Hu, Weiguang Li, Xiangyu Chi and Naihua Wang ()
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Jian Hu: State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Power Safety Technology and Equipment, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518172, China
Weiguang Li: Institute of Thermal Science and Technology, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
Xiangyu Chi: Institute of Thermal Science and Technology, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
Naihua Wang: Institute of Thermal Science and Technology, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-22

Abstract: The volume control tank (VCT) is an important facility in the primary circuit of nuclear power plants. During the normal operation of nuclear power plants, the mass transfer between the gas and liquid phases occurs in the VCT at all times. It is driven by submerged jets, which may cause potential risks to the operational safety of nuclear power plants. It is necessary to conduct an in-depth study to gain a deeper understanding of the gas–liquid mass transfer behavior in the VCT. In this paper, a new gas–liquid mass transfer model is developed that combines a surface divergence model with a CFD model to accurately simulate the mass transfer process of the gas phase into the liquid phase. The simulation data were verified by the experimental results. The deviation between the simulation results and experimental results is less than 6.55%. Based on this model, a simulation study was carried out for the effect of structural parameters of the VCT on gas–liquid mass transfer. The results show that the double-vortex structure above the jet inlet, the surface jet at the gas–liquid interface, and the vortex at the end of the jet are the three factors dominating the gas–liquid mass transfer in the VCT. The gas–liquid mass transfer can be influenced by the jet diameter since the jet diameter has a remarkable effect on the Kolmogorov scale and the macroscopic flow field structure. Moreover, both the Kolmogorov scale and the macroscopic flow field structure can be affected by the jet height. However, these two effects cancel each other out. Thus, the influence of the jet height on the gas–liquid mass transfer rate is negligible.

Keywords: volume control tank; structure; submerged jet; gas-liquid mass transfer; CFD (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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