Flooding experiments in tubular geometry with steam water up to 70 bar

An experimental study was performed to obtain counter-current flow limitation data over a range of conditions as near as possible to that of a PWR pressurizer surge-line. Experiments were performed with two different tube diameters (73.6 and 95 mm), and two different geometrical arrangements (vertical and horizontal) at pressures ranging from 30 to 70 bar. Liquid was delivered to the test section from an upper reservoir, under a water head, while steam was injected through a lower reservoir. Measurements of the liquid flow rate and of the pressure drops versus the steam flow rate are presented, and analyzed in terms of the Wallis nondimensional parameters. Comparisons with existing models show a good agreement with the Wallis correlation, and with the Richter correlation.