Periodic Oscillations in Natural Circulation Boiling System

Natural circulation has been widely used in some evolutionary and innovative nuclear power plants. Natural circulation systems are susceptible to flow instabilities which are undesirable in the nuclear power devices. An experimentally investigation of two phase flow instability in up-flow boing channel under natural circulation is presented in this paper. Flow instability with and without flow reversal have been found. A pulse signal of water temperature at the inlet of the test section can be detected when the channel suffers from flow reversal. Single phase and two phase flow alternate in the channel regardless of the occurrence of flow reversal. Periodic oscillations with multiple high-order harmonic waves are confirmed by applying Fast Fourier Transform to the time traces of flow rates. Period of flow instability which is the reciprocal of the frequency with the largest amplitude in the amplitude-frequency plane are obtained. Period of flow oscillation presents a nonlinear change with the increase of mass flux. Period of flow instability increases rapidly with the increase of mass flux and decreases slowly when it reaches the maximum value.