CFD modelling of two-phase discharge from a stratified region through a small side branch

Two-phase discharge from headers has relevance to many industrial applications, particularly in nuclear-safety analysis during postulated loss-of-coolant accidents. The main objective of this study is to assess the ability of commercial CFD codes in predicting the flow phenomena and flow parameters associated with two-phase discharge from a stratified region through a small side branch. Results were obtained for the critical heights at the onsets of gas and liquid entrainment, as well as the mass flow rate and quality during two-phase discharge. All results are in good agreement with existing experimental data. However, the computation time required to obtain these results was found to be excessive.