An Experimental Study of the Rapid Depressurization of Hot Water

Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houaton, Houa1on, Tax 77004 FellowASME New measurements of the pressure history in 5,08 and 1.27 cm i.d. tubes during extremely rapid depressurization from BWR and PWR conditions are presented. The pressure to which the present system (as well as the systems of other investigators) returns, is successfully correlated using a suggestion by Stuhmiller. New pressure undershoot data are given here, but they are rationalized elsewhere. The rate of opening, and the rarefaction wave speed, in the present system are also presented and correlated. The present study sujfgests that scaled replications of the early process of depressurization are reliable.