The test rig was constructed to simulate the operation of the isolation condenser found in some BWR reactors. The operational principle of the actual isolation condenser is to condense the steam generated in the reactor and to return it back to the reactor vessel. The only driving force causing the operation of the isolation condenser is hydrostatic pressure caused by condensation water.
In the test rig the PACTEL test facility was used as a reactor simulator. All the steam needed during the tests was generated in steam generators of PACTEL. The steam was led through the steam line to the condenser, which was located inside a large water tank. Instead of hydrostatic pressure of the condensed water the pressure difference between steam generator and condensate tank, which was directly connected to the atmosphere, was used as a driving force. The flow rate was controlled with control valve located after the condenser.
Both single tube and 3x3 tube bundle tests were made during the test program. The single tube was located in the inner corner of the bottom row, and was equipped with two instrumentation tubes. In the tube bundle tests the instrumentation tube was moved to tube located in the inner corner of the top row. The condenser tubes were made from stainless steel of type AISI304L, with outside diameter 25 mm and wall thickness 2 mm. The material used in instrumentation tubes were same as in condenser tubes.
The design principle of the temperature measurements of the test rig was to provide the test rig with instrumentation, which makes it possible to determine the temperature distribution along the test rig. Especially the temperature measurements located inside the condenser tube, at the outlets of the condenser tubes and after the outlet collector were essential while determining the maximum condensing power of the test rig. Also differential pressure transducers were used to monitor water levels in tanks and inside the condensate line.
The thermocouples measuring the condenser tube outlet temperatures were located in the middle of the tube outlets. These tube outlet measurements were in use only during the tube bundle tests. In addition there were 44 temperature measurements located in the instrumentation tubes. Also the large water pool was equipped with several temperature measurements.
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