An analysis of air-water flow phenomena due to a pipe break under sub-atmospheric pressures using TRACE

For advanced research reactor designs that have a high core power with downward coolant flow in the core, it is important to analyze a unique postulated pipe break scenario under sub-atmospheric pressures. In order to benchmark the capability of thermal–hydraulic codes such as TRACE to predict flow behavior under these conditions, we must first compare TRACE analyses to reference experimental data for air–water flow near atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions.