CHF(critical heat flux),MCHFR(minimum critical heat flux

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concepts of critical heat flux (CHF) and minimum critical heat flux ratio (MCHFR) in the context of coast down transients in nuclear reactor systems. Participants seek to understand how to determine MCHFR over time by analyzing channel operating curves and CHF setpoint curves.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express confusion about how to find MCHFR versus time during coast down transients, asking for clarification on the relevant curves.
  • CHF is described as significant for safety in heat transfer from cladding and for reactor design, with some participants questioning its physical significance at the cladding surface.
  • There are discussions about the implications of reaching CHF, including the transition from nucleate boiling to dryout in BWRs, and the potential consequences for cladding integrity.
  • One participant suggests that decreasing mass flow rate during coast down leads to increased specific enthalpy and higher cladding temperatures, while another participant seeks to understand the relevant channel operating curves and their axes.
  • References to specific figures in textbooks are made to illustrate boiling regimes and CHF behavior, although some participants indicate they lack access to these resources.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of CHF and its implications for reactor safety, but there is no consensus on the specifics of how to determine MCHFR versus time or the detailed physical processes at play when CHF is reached. Multiple competing views and uncertainties remain regarding the analysis of coast down transients.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the need for specific diagrams and curves to analyze the problem, indicating limitations in their current resources and understanding. There are unresolved questions about the relationship between mass flow rate, heat flux, and cladding temperature during coast down.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students and professionals in nuclear engineering, particularly those interested in heat transfer, reactor safety, and the dynamics of boiling water reactors.

matt222
Messages
130
Reaction score
0
CHF(critical heat flux),
MCHFR(minimum critical heat flux ratio)

how we will find the MCHFR for vs time for coast down transient by drawing channel operating channel and CHF setpoint curves for several time?

I really confused about this can you help me about it
 
Engineering news on Phys.org


matt222 said:
CHF(critical heat flux),
MCHFR(minimum critical heat flux ratio)

how we will find the MCHFR for vs time for coast down transient by drawing channel operating channel and CHF setpoint curves for several time?

I really confused about this can you help me about it
MCHFR depends on CHF, the enthalpy and flow rate of the coolant, and the local heat flux at the critical location.

What is the significance of CHF?
 


its iportant in the safety for heat transfer fro the cladding, its important for the design
 


matt222 said:
its iportant in the safety for heat transfer fro the cladding, its important for the design
I mean - what is the physical significance of CHF? In other words, what physically happens at the location when the heat flux of the cladding reaches CHF on a BWR fuel rod? This is fundamental knowledge for a fuel designer, fuel performance engineer and reactor operator.
 


its like a limit so we can't go beyond it to aviod heat trnsfer in the cladding, but i am asking something else
 


matt222 said:
its like a limit so we can't go beyond it to aviod heat trnsfer in the cladding, but i am asking something else
Think about the difference in heat transfer coefficient between water and steam, and the significance of heat transfer coefficient, heat flux, and delta-T between coolant and cladding surface.

What happens when the heat flux reaches CHF? What is the state of the coolant at the cladding surface at CHF? What is that word for that state?
 


I have no idea about it at all that's why I asked <<<no information on the web and I don't have any supported material to read
 


matt222 said:
I have no idea about it at all that's why I asked <<<no information on the web and I don't have any supported material to read
I would think that would be covered in the textbook that one is using.

There should be a curve that plots ln q'' vs T or delta T = T-Tsat, and which describes different Boiling Regimes.

See Fig. 11-9 in El-Wakil, Nuclear Power Engineering, 1962
Fig 11-8 in El-Wakil, Nuclear Heat Transport, 1971, 1978
Fig 4-12 in Lahey and Moody, The Thermal-Hydraulics of a Boiling Water Nuclear Reactor, 1975

In a PWR, the CHF coincides with departure from nucleate boiling (DNB), which is not allowed in PWR, although some nucleate boiling is permissible unless it promotes significant crud deposition.

In a BWR, CHF coincides with 'burnout' or a more commonly used term, 'dryout', which is not permssible in a BWR.

When the wall heat flux exceeds the CHF, then the heat transfer abruptly decreases, and the cladding temperature increases, such that local oxidation/corrosion can increase, which leads to wall thinning, as well as the cladding gets softer (yield and ultimate tensile strength decrease), so that the cladding could strain more than desirable. If the temperature gets too high, the cladding may balloon due to increase in internal pressure.
 


unfortunately I don't have these book, I have the diagram only but i don't have explantion for it just slide, but thanks its very good inforation i understand to it, but what about as i said flow coastdown , i think in this case the mass flow rate will decrease resulting decrease in the heat flux and we will have big gap margin between it, is true what i said, because i have to show as it asked me find MCHF versus time?
 
  • #10


matt222 said:
unfortunately I don't have these book, I have the diagram only but i don't have explantion for it just slide, but thanks its very good inforation i understand to it, but what about as i said flow coastdown , i think in this case the mass flow rate will decrease resulting decrease in the heat flux and we will have big gap margin between it, is true what i said, because i have to show as it asked me find MCHF versus time?
Two things happen with decreasing mass flow: 1) the same portion of coolant (differential volume) picks up more heat, thus at a given axial elevation (downstream location), the specific enthalpy is greater (i.e. it's hotter if liquid, or it has higher quality if two phase), and 2) the heat transfer decreases, which means at a given location, delta-T is greater, which means the cladding temperature is greater.

If one is also depressurizing the system, that too decreases the saturation temperature.
 
  • #11
Please help

I am also looking for the answer. This a problem the professor said to get help from the internet for. I don't just want the answer, I want to understand it all to. What are there relevant channel operating curves (coolant mass flow, coolant enthalpy)? What are the axis for these curves? For CHF limit curves (many curves based on time) what are the axis of the graph? Any help would be much appretiated.

Describe how you would determine the minimum critical heat flux ratio versus time for a flow coastdown transient by drawing the relevant channel operating curves and the CHF limit curves for several time values.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
Replies
6
Views
7K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
7K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 27 ·
Replies
27
Views
7K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
921
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
7K