Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Nuclear power is crucial to the energy sector, comprising 16% of global energy. With heightened safety demands, this paper focuses on the issue of high Venturi flowmeter readings at low loads in a nuclear plant's Feedwater Flow Control (ARE) system. The ARE system's role is to regulate flow to the steam generator, maintaining water levels within set limits. Venturi flowmeters, known for their simple design and reliability, are commonly used in industrial flow measurement, including nuclear plant feedwater systems. Measurement accuracy is vital for control system performance and overall industrial safety. This study uses Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to model the three-dimensional flow field of a Venturi flowmeter, employing the kω-SST turbulence model. The research analyzes flow characteristics and outflow coefficient under varying loads. Findings reveal that the outflow coefficient increases with Reynolds number, while surface roughness and welding irregularities lead to falsely high flowmeter readings.
Author: Hongchi Yan
Institution: Northeastern University
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanics of Materials
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4410129525