Abstract
T-junction is a typical structure in many industrial systems such as power plants, chemical process, and hydrocarbon production industries. The separation of two-phase flow passing through T-junction is a common flow phenomenon. The characteristic of the two-phase flow between the two outlets are always non-uniform, and this kind of fluid status may contribute to the unpredictable damage of downstream facilities. For the nuclear power plants, severe accidents analysis is important especially for Light-Water Reactors (LWR) when Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) occurs. The small break of the pipe may cause the coolant become two-phase flow due to the pressure drop. Under certain conditions, the behavior of T-junction is similar to a gas-liquid separator, as a result of the gas enters the side arm and the liquid flows straight along the run arm. The study aims to establish complete data base for the benchmark of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model. As a consequence, a vertical T-junction (D=26mm) experimental loop was set up for the purpose of elaborating the complex two-phase fluid phenomena. In this experiment, variables were manipulated under highly controlled conditions and a photographic method was proposed to analyze the images of phase separation. Furthermore, the images obtained by camera have been discussed to receive valuable information about the two phase flow behavior around the T-junction.