Numerical Simulation on Subcooled Boiling Heat Transfer Characteristics of Water-Cooled W/Cu Divertors

In order to realize safe and stable operation of a water-cooled W/Cu divertor under high heating condition, the exact knowledge of its subcooled boiling heat transfer characteristics under different design parameters is crucial. In this paper, subcooled boiling heat transfer in a water-cooled W/Cu divertor was numerically investigated based on computational fluid dynamic (CFD). The boiling heat transfer was simulated based on the Euler homogeneous phase model, and local differences of liquid physical properties were considered under one-sided high heating conditions. The calculated wall temperature was in good agreement with experimental results, with the maximum error of 5% only. On this basis, the void fraction distribution, flow field and heat transfer coefficient (HTC) distribution were obtained. The effects of heat flux, inlet velocity and inlet temperature on temperature distribution and pressure drop of a water-cooled W/Cu divertor were also investigated. These results provide a valuable reference for the thermal-hydraulic design of a water-cooled W/Cu divertor.