Steam/water interaction in a scaled pressurized water reactor downcomer annulus

Steam»ater countercurrent flow in a 1/30 scale, flat-plate, pla'stic model of a Pressurized Water Reactor downcomer annulus was investigated.Various inlet geometries, selected to simulate a number of different real reactor injection arrangements, were studied,as well as three water temperatures .Several types of baffling were used to determine their effect on the penetration of liquid through the annulus.Maps, showing the effects of the various parameters on the "end-ofbypass" in this experiment are presented and discussed.The usefulness of this information in reactor safety studies is also discussed, including tentative scaling laws based on simplified theoretical models.Further work is recommended.