Air-Water Countercurrent Flow Limitation in a Horizontal Pipe Connected to an Inclined Riser

An experimental investigation has been peformed to examine the effects of various geometrical parameters and an initial operating condition on the air-water countercurrent How limitation (CCFL) in a simulated PWR hot leg. A total of 118 experimental data for the onset of CCFL and zero liquid penetration were obtained for various combinations of test parameters. It was observe that the CCFL can be classified into three different categories: (the onset of CCFL, (the partial liquid delivery, and (r) the zero liquid penetration. The observed mechanisms of the onset of CCFL were different depending on the inlet water flow rate. The parametric effects of pipe diameter, horizontal pipe length, horizontal pipe length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio, and initial water level in the horizontal pipe of the test section on the onset of air-water CCFL were also examined. An empirical correlation for the onset of CCFL in a horizontal pipe connected to an inclined riser was developed in terms of Wallis flooding parameters for the low inlet water flow rate region. Comparisons of the present empirical correlation with the air-water CCFL data of large pipe diameters show that the present correlation agrees more closely with the experimental data than the existing CCFL correlations.