Research Into the Characteristics of Flow Conditioner in Reactor Coolant Pump Test Circuit

Abstract

During the design process of Reactor Coolant Pump (RCP) test circuit, a flow conditioner is considered to be necessary in view of the fact that the RCP test circuit has a large flow volume and a relatively limited space, and it must meet the need of stabilizing the flow as quickly as possible. This article bases on the demands of the function of the flow conditioner in reactor coolant pump test circuit, utilizes the CFD analysis software to carry out 3-dimensioning modeling of several flow conditioners, and simulates the characteristic of the fluid in circuit under different flow conditioners. Through the analysis of the pressure distribution in the downstream of the flow conditioner, different stabilizing effects are obtained, and the final structure of the flow conditioner is determined considering the real demand of the test circuit.