Simulation of the two-phase flow through the hole of the submerged perforated sheet

The paper is devoted to the study of the features of the flow of a steam-water mixture in a horizontal steam generator, which is one of the main components of nuclear power plants comprising Russian water-water energy reactors. The aim of the study is to calculate the hydraulic resistance of a perforated sheet using the CFD code OpenFOAM and compare it with experimental results. The mathematical model includes Reynolds-averaged equations of motion for an incompressible fluid, supplemented by a semi-empirical turbulence model; the volume of fluid method (VOF) is used for tracking and locating the steam–water interface. Comparison of calculated hydraulic resistances with experimental ones shows a good correspondence, the relative error does not exceed 3% for a single-phase steam flow and 8% for two-phase steam-water flow, respectively. It is established that the flow of a two-phase medium has a complex non-stationary behavior, the resulting dispersed water formations continuously change their shape, fragmentation and coalescence processes occur.