Experimental research of liquid entrainment through ADS-4 in AP1000

•We performed experimental research of liquid entrainment through ADS-4 in AP1000.•Effect of various factors on entrainment at T-junction was conducted.•Visualization research was conducted to make entrainment mechanism clear.

In this study, based on a T-junction that consists of Automatic Depressurization System Stage Four (ADS-4) and hot leg in an AP1000 plant, a small-scale experimental research on entrainment at a T-junction was performed. This study mainly focused on the effect of various factors on entrainment, such as the effect of branch size, branch shape and liquid crossflow. The flow pattern map was plotted from the experimental data, and the visualization research indicated that the entrainment phenomena through a large size branch were apparently different from that through a small branch. Three entrainment phenomena were observed in the studies, two entrainment mechanisms could be found in the stratified flow regime entrainment area, the existence of branch contributed to generating intermittent flow in the horizontal main pipe, and the backflow region was observable in the vicinity of a large size branch inlet. Also, experimental research showed that downstream of the branch of T-junction had an important effect on the onset entrainment, and liquid crossflow did not seem to affect the onset entrainment.