Flooding in the pressurizer surge line of AP600 plant and analyses of APEX data

For the passive AP600 plant, the three stages of ADS (automatic depressurization system) valves are attached to the top of pressurizer. The existence of these valves makes liquid flow into and out of the pressurizer an important part of the dynamics during a small break loss-of-coolant accident. In this paper, counter-current flow limit (CCFL) in the surge line was analyzed. Specifically, CCFL in vertical piping, in slightly inclined horizontal piping, and in horizontal and vertical elbows were compared. The CCFL in the vertical section of the surge line was found to be the most limiting section. That is, the vertical CCFL controls the pressurizer liquid drain rate. This conclusion was tested and verified by comparing the predicted vertical CCFL against the counter-current flow states in the surge line, observed in small break LOCA tests conducted at the AP600 scaled test facility (APEX). © 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.