Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology

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Estimation of Centrifugal Pump Head in Steam-

Water Two-Phase Flow

Akihiko MINATO , Atsuo YAMANOUCHI & Tadashi NARABAYASHI

To cite this article: Akihiko MINATO , Atsuo YAMANOUCHI & Tadashi NARABAYASHI (1985)
Estimation of Centrifugal Pump Head in Steam-Water Two-Phase Flow, Journal of Nuclear Science
and Technology, 22:5, 379-386, DOI: 10.1080/18811248.1985.9735671

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/18811248.1985.9735671

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 lo. rrinl of NUCLEARSCIENCE 22[5], pp. 379-386
and TECHNOLOGY, (May 1985). 379

Estimation of Centrifugal Pump Head in

Steam-Water Two-Phase Flow
Akihiko MINATO, Atsuo YAMANOUCBI+,
Energy Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd. *

Tadashi NARABAYASHI

Nuclear Engineering Laboratory, Toshiba Corp. **

Received August 1 0 , 1984

A series of two-phase pump performance tests were carried out by using three model
pumps: two high head (225111) pumps which were similar in shape but different in size, and
one low head (25 m) pump. Experimental data were reduced with two-phase mixture density
a t exit of impeller. T h e results showed that pump heads for volumetric quality less than
lO,o6 agreed well with those in single-phase flow. This result implied that the two-phase
flow in impeller w a s homogeneous in this range. On the other hand, large degradations of
pump head were observed and separated flow was suggested when volumetric quality was
larger than 10%. T h e degraded heads of the model pumps were compared with analytical
results derived from a separated two-phase flow model. T h e calculated results were within
the data scatter.
KEYWORDS: L W R t y p e reactors, blowdown, two-phase flow, centrifugal pump,
void fraction, pump head, two-phase pump performance, specific speed, loss o f
coolant, steam, water

I. INTRODUCTION
In order to assure safety evaluation of hypothetical loss-of-coolant-accidents (LOCA) in
light water reactors, investigation of phenomena related with these accidents are important.
One of the main objects of these safety studies is recirculation pump behavior during
blowdown period. Pump rotation is accelerated by two-phase flow and the generated pump
head affects discharge flow rate. It is inevitable to develop estimation method of two-
phase pump performance for analysis of pump behavior during blowdown.
Runstadler‘” and Kamath(2) reviewed many experimental results and proposed empirical
estimation model of two-phase head performance of pumps in the first quadrant (under
normal direction of flow and rotation conditions). They reported distinguished pump head de-
gradation in two-phase flow was observed by many researchers. MikielewiczC3’proposed
semi-empirical data reduction method on the basis of head loss ratio compared with theo-
retical head of ideal pump. These empirical and semi-empirical models did not give mech-
anism of two-phase head degradation of pumps.
Recently, F ~ j i e ‘ ~
analyzed
) behavior of two-phase flow in the pump impeller and showed
that head and torque degradations were caused by velocity difference between gas and
liquid phases which was promoted by the centrifugal force. This model was modified here
* Moriyama-cho, Hitachi-shi 316.
** Ukishima-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 21 0.
t Present address : Nippon Nuclear Fuel Development Co., Ltd., Nai-ita-nzachi,
Oarai-machi, Ibaraki-ken 31 1-13.

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380 J. Nucl. Sci. Technol.,

by using single-phase head performance instead of calculation of centrifugal force and losses
in each phase. T h e present model enabled two-phase head performance to be estimated
without detailed information of the pump structure such as blade angle.

1. EXPERIMENTS
OF TWO-PHASE
PUMP PERFORMANCE
1. Schematics of Loop
4 test loop consisted of a pressure vessel, a booster pump, an ejector, test section and
measurement system as shown in Fig. 1. Power of heater in the pressure vessel was
controlled to keep the system pres-
sure around 6 MPa. Saturated water
was introduced from the bottom of
Motor 0
P r e s s u r e Vessel
the pressure vessel and pressurized
by the booster pump. Saturated SPeed-IID-ce.rc

steam from the top of the pressure

vessel was mixed with water jet in
the ejector. Water and steam mass
flow rates were measured with ven-
turi flow meters before they were
mixed. Th e two-phase flow went
to the test pump and returned to the
pressure vessel. Volumetric quality
was limited under 80% because @ : P r e s s u r e T r a n s d u c e r 0: V e n t u r i Flow Meter
steam was driven by water jet in 0:
Thermo Couple 0: R o t a t i o n Speed Meter
the ejector and high volumetric
Fig. 1 Schematic of test loop
quality flow test was not allowed.
Pump rotational speed was measured with an optical tachometer. Inlet and outlet
pressure and pressure difference across the pump were measured with pressure transducers.
2. Test Pumps
Table 1 Specifications of test pumps
Three centrifugal pump models were
used in the experiments. The specifications Pump No. 1 No. 2 No. 3
are shown in Table 1. Nos. 1 and 2 pumps Rated head (m) 225 225 25
have high rated head of 225m. They are Rated rotational
similar in shape but size of No. 2 pump is speed (Us) 278.3 140.6 23.3
twice as large as NO. 1 pump. NO. 3 pump ~~~~~~~~~ 0.0186 o.0744 o,oo65
has low rated head 2nd small specific speed. Rated torque (N.m) 48.5 273.6 30.4
Dimensionless specific speed is deter- Dimensionless
mined from hydraulic similarity rule of specific Weed 0.741 0.741 0.190
pumps and defined as follows: Diameter of
impeller (m) 0.086 0.172 0.300
Os=W~Q~2/(~H~)3"". (1)
These Nos. 1 and 2 pumps were adopted to assess the effect of size and No. 3 pump
was used to obtain the data of effect of specific speed on two-phase pump performance.

m. REDUCTIONMETHODOF PUMP HEAD DATA

1. Dimensionless Expression of Single-phase Head Performance
From similarity rule of pump performance, following dimensionless flow rate and head
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Vol. 22, No. 5 (May 1985) 381

are introduced to reduce pump performance data :

Th e relationship between @, and K,, is dimensionless expression of the well-known

Q-H curve. T h e single-phase head performance may be written by using these param-
eters in a quadratic form as
K,,=ao+a,@,,+a2@~, , (4)
where parameters a,, a , and a2 are estimated from single-phase pump characteristics as
shown in Fig. 2(a) and (b). Equation (4) includes effects of entrance collision loss, fric-
tional loss and pressure recovery in the diffuser. Impellers of Nos. 1 and 2 pumps are
similar in shape and their head performance are almost equal in dimensionless expressions.

2 , 0
0 No.1 P u m p
8 No.2 Pump

0 1 2 0 1 2
Dliiienslonless Flow Rate, @ Dlmenslonless Flow Rate, asp
5P
(a) Nos. 1 and 2 pumps (b) No. 3 pump
Fig. 2 Experimental results of single-phase head performance

2. Definition of Pump Head in Two-phase Flow

Density of two-phase flow changes easily in impeller with steam bubble collapse due
to pressure rise. T he definition of head includes density which is not constant in the im-
peller. It is needed for describing two-phase head performance to determine the average
density of two-phase mixture which is appropriate to express head performance.
Pump head in two-phase flow is defined here by energy balance equation:

gWHtp=(<Qg)+ ( Q i ) ) d P 7 (5)
where <
) denotes values which describes average behavior in the pump impeller. The
left-hand side of Eq. ( 5 ) is energy to lift up mass W to height H t p per unit time and the
right-hand side means work of flow on the external system. By using the dominant density
defined as
(Ptp)=Wl(<Qg)+<Qi)) . (6)
Equation ( 5 ) may be rewritten as follows :
382 J. Nucl. Sci. Technol.,

The volumetric flow rate for describing energy transfer between impeller and flow
should be estimated at the pump exit because the exit angular momentum balance of flow
have large effects on the energy transfer as implied in the wellknown Euler’s turbine
equation. The volumetric flow rate at the pump exit can be calculated from energy balance
equation using inlet enthalpy, work from the impeller to the mixture and exit pressure.
Two-phase pump head is dependent on fraction of volumetric gas phase flow rate.
This value is denoted with volumetric quality which is defined as

w. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND ANALYTICAL

MODEL OF TWO-PHASE HEAD PERFORMANCE

1. Summary of Two-phase Head Performance Data

Two-phase head data of Nos. 1 and 2 model pumps were almost the same in
dimensionless form and similarity of two-phase flow hydraulics in these pumps with the
same specific speed was suggested. T he experimental results showed that two-phase
head data of the pumps were classified into
two groups. Th e first group with lower “1,ex
volumetric quality revealed almost the same
head performance as single-phase flow. T h e
second group with larger volumetric quality
showed definite degradation of pump head.
It was conjectured that two-phase flow in
the first group was homogeneous bubbly
flow and behaved like single-phase flow. On
the other hand, two-phase flow in the second
group was estimated to be separated flow
as shown in Fig. 3 where interaction
Fig. 3 Slip model at exit of impeller
between the phases was not negligible.
2. Analytical Model of Two-phase Pump Head Degradation
Previous showed that heterogeneous effects of two-phase flow caused head
degradation. Gas and liquid phases have different velocities in the impeller. Pressure
increase, which corresponds to the impeller exit velocity, is generated in each phase sepa-
rately and pressure difference in gas phase between inlet and exit of the impeller must be
the same as that in liquid phase.
Pressure difference across the pump is composed of pressure increase in the impeller
and static pressure recovery in the diffuser by velocity slow down. Pressure losses in the
impeller, diffuser and tubes are functions of fluid velocity. Pressure rise in the impeller
is calculated by following momentum conservation equation along the flow path :
dP du dr
----+pu--+fpro2---=-F,
ds ds ds
where fluid compressibility and flow area change are neglected. T he third term of the
left-hand side indicates centrifugal force, and F is frictional force due to interaction be-
tween flow and structure. Momentum balance through the flow path in the impeller is
obtained by integrating Eq. ( 9 ) . Then, following equation is deduced :
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Vol. 22, No. 5 (May 1985) 383

Flow velocity changes when fluid is discharged from the impeller to the diffuser and
goes into pipe. Static pressure of the flow is affected by dynamic pressure change. This
pressure difference is expressed as follows :
AP, =p(r~w2+2r2wuex .
cos O+U~~--V&,~,,)/~ (11)
Pressure difference in the suction by flow velocity change is calculated in the same manner.
ilPs=-p(r~w2$2rlovincos S + U ; ~ - V : , ) / ~ . (12)
Pressure difference across the pump is obtained by summing up the Eqs. (10)-(12).
1 ex
AP=dP~mp+dPs+dPd=pr,w(r,w-t~excos O)+Tp(V~p-V&wn)-[~i n F d s , (13)

where flow at the impeller inlet is assumed to have no angular momentum, and Vdown is
nearly equal to V,, in fully developed flow in the same size tubes, and the second term
of the right-hand side is negligible. Usually, frictional force originates in shear by impeller
structure. In case of two-phase flow, velocity of each phase is different from another
and interphase shear contributes to frictional loss. Momentum conservation equations of
gas and liquid phases are expressed as follows:

(14)

(1- -(1-

where Fi indicates interphase shear force per unit volume.

Pressure difference across the pump in each phase is obtained by integrating these
equations along the flow path and considering static pressure change in the suction and
diffuser.

dPi=plr2w(r,w-vl, ex cos O ) - l ~ ~ F ls-[ex-zL-

d i n (1--CU)
ds

T he first and second terms of Eqs. (16) and (17) are common with the single-phase head
performance as functions of pump rotational speed and flow velocity. Head characteristics
of the pumps in single-phase flow are approximately expressed by Eqs. ( 2 ) - ( 4 ) . T he
pressure difference of each phase across the pump is rewritten as follows:

where Hsp(w,u ) can be obtained from single-phase head performance Eqs. ( 2 )-( 4 ) as
follows :
f f s p ( ~v
, ) = f f d w / w d *{ ao + + ( AwU )W R / Q ., W ) ~ }
~ ~ ( A ~ ~ R / ~Q~ R (20)
Interphase shear force is assumed to be proportional to square of velocity difference
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384 J . Nucl. Sci. Technol.,

between the phases from the basis of Andersen’s interphase shear force

where p g j is the drift velocity which is estimated with the following equation($):
~oj=l.53[ag(p,-pg)/p~]”~. (22)
Void fraction distribution along the flow path is required for integration of interphase
shear force. They are determined so that pressure gradients in gas and liquid phases are
equal, and average void fraction in the impeller is nearly equal to the exit one. Result of
interphase shear integration is estimated as follows :

where h” means the product of K by flow path distance in the impeller and reciprocal
drift velocity squared.
Pressure difference across the pump in two-phase flow can be calculated by the itera-
tion method with exit void fraction so that the pressure rise in each phase equals to that
in another. Loss in the diffuser is assumed to be the same as in single-phase flow and in-
cluded in H s p ( o ,v) in Eqs. (18)and (19). When exit void fraction is assumed, exit velocities
of the phases are calculated by the following volumetric flow rate conservation equations :
avg,ex=(Qg)/A I (25) (l-a)vl,ex=(Qi)lA, (26)
where flow area in the impeller is assumed to be constant. Using these exit liquid and
gas velocities, pressure rise in each phase is calculated from Eqs. (16)-(22). If pressure
increase in gas phase differs from that in liquid phase, next exit void fraction is assumed
by interpolation.
3. Dimensionless Expressions
The governing equations of two-phase head discussed in the above section can be ex-
pressed using dimensionless variables. Dimensionless flow rates and pump head are defined
as follows:

~ r ‘ t p ” ( H t p / H R ) / ( o l o R ) z. (28)
Equations ( 5 ) 4 7 ) can be rewritten in dimensionless forms. Relationship between Q t P
and K t p is obtained as a function of the volumetric quality in the same manner as in the
previous section. This shows that the previous model satisfies similarity rule of two-phase
performance. This result agrees with the observations.
v. RESULTSFROM SEPARATED
COMPARISON OF CALCULATED
FLOWMODEL WITH EXPERIMENTAL
TWO-PHASE DATA
Calculated results of Nos. 1 and 2 pumps two-phase head are compared with experi-
mental data in Fig. 4(a). Frictional coefficient K of interphase shear was determined
empirically and it was estimated to be around two. T he experimental results show that
heads for exit volumetric quality less than 10% are almost the same as the single-phase.
On the other hand, large degradation is observed for volumetric quality greater than 10%
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 Vol. 22, No 5 (May 1985) 385

at the exit. The calculated results of pump head degradation are within the experimental
data scatter.

Volumetric No.! Pump No.2 Pump

2 Quality
2
0 - 10 % o e Volumetric
Quality
10 - 30 % v 9 0 - 10 % 0
30 - 60 % ~
60 - 80 %
6 10 - 30 % v
0.
0 El 30 - 60 % !:!..
~ Calculated 60 - 80 % 0
..; "0
- Calculated
"'"'
:I:
"'"'
;r: ogc£5n--o
Ill
li\
Ill
Ill

"'
0
/o-<6 o
V Single-Phase "''0... 0
"'
.-<
.:::
0
.-<
.:::
0
Qv
Ill
Ill
.:::
"'
e
.:::
"'
e
%
--------~
'
"0'-.
c c

0 0
2 0 2
0
Dimensionless Flow Rate,~ Dlmenslonless Flow Rate, ~tp
tp
(a) Nos. 1 and 2 pumps (b) No. 3 pump
Fig. 4 Comparison between calculated and experimental results of two-phase head performance

Calculated results of No. 3 pump are

shown in Fig. 4(b) with experimental data.
The predicted and experimental results of
pump head degradation are in good agree-
ment like those of Nos. 1 and 2 pumps.
It is conjectured that pump head degrada- 0
...,
tion for large volumetic quality flow is "' 0.5
caused by separation of liquid and gas ;: "'
phases. Ui
The calculated exit slip ratio are shown
in Fig. 5 as a function of dimensionless
flow rate and volumetric quality in No. 1
model pump. The exit slip ratio is less
0
than unity because water phase is accele 0 2
rated by interaction with the impeller and Dimensionless Flow Rate, ~tp
steam phase velocity reduces to compensate
Fig. 5 Calculated slip ratio at impeller exit
flow area change of water phase.

VI. CONCLUSIONS
Experiments were carried out with three model pumps to obtain head performance in
two-phase flow. Evaluation model for the two-phase pump head was developed and the
prediction was compared with the experimental results. Following conclusions were obtained:
(1) Data of two-phase pump head on normal flow and normal rotation direction condi-
tions were classified into two groups. The first group with exit volumetric quality
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386 J. Nucl. Sci. Technol.,

less than 10% revealed almost the same characteristics as in single phase. The second
group showed degraded pump head and volumetric quality was greater than 10%.
(2) The pump performance data showed two-phase flow in the first group appeared to
behave like single-phase flow. It was estimated that the two-phase mixture was homo-
geneous bubbly flow.
(3) Predicted results of two-phase degraded head of the model pumps by using separated
flow model were within experimental data scatter in case of volumetric quality greater
than 10%.
[NOMENCLATURE]
u p a Z: Parameters defined in Eq. ( 4 ) W : Mass flow rate (kg/s)
A : Flow area in impeller (m’) a : Void fraction
F : Shear force by wall friction (N/m3) P : Volumetric quality
Fi : Interphase shear force (N/m3) e : Angle of blade (rad)
g : Gravitation constant (m/s2) P : Density (kg/m3)
H : Head (m) 0 : Surface tension (N/m)
K : Coefficient of interphase shear 0 : Dimensionless volumetric flow rate
K’ : Product of K by flow path distance v : Dimensionless head
in impeller and reciprocal drift w : Pump rotational speed (I/S)
velocity squared (s2/m) UJQ : Specific speed
P : Pressure (Pa)
(Subscripts)
A P : Pressure difference across pump (Pa)
down : Downstream
9 : Volumetric flow rate (m3/s)
e x : Exit of impeller
r : Radial distance (m)
rI : Inner radius of impeller g: Gas phase
(m)
in : Inlet of impeller
r2 : Outer radius of impeller (4 1 : Liquid phase
S : Distance along flow path in impeller (m)
21: Velocity in coordinate fixed to
R : Rated
sp : Single-phase
impeller (m/s)
tp : Two-phase
V : Absolute velocity (m/s)
u p : Upstream
v,j: Drift velocity (m/s)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This test program was performed as a joint study of Japanese BWR-user utilities,
Hitachi Ltd. and Toshiba Corp. T h e authors wish to express their appreciation to group
members of this program for fruitful discussions. The authors also thank to Mr. T.
Mitadera of Hitachi Nuclear Engineering Co. Ltd. for his contribution to the experiments.
-REFERENCES-
RUI\’s.r.L\DLER, P. W. : Review and analysis of state-of-the-art of multiphase pump technology,
EPRI EP-159, (1976).
KAIVIATH,P. S., et al. : Two-phase performance of scale models of a primary coolant pump, EPRI
NP-257, (1982).
MIKIELEIVICZ,J., et a l . : Trans. A S M E , J. Fluid Eng., 100(4], 395 (1978).
FUJIE,H. : Kikaigakkai Koenronbunshu, (in Japanese) 837(1], 237 (1983) ; 820(14], 142 (1982).
AhDERSEN, J. G.M. : Trans. A N S Mtg., 41, 669 (1982).
ZUBER,N., et al. : Trans. ASME, J. Heat Transfer, 87[4], 453 (1965).

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