Experimental analysis of droplet impacting on inclined wall of the corrugated plate dryer in steam generator of nuclear power plants

•Semi-empirical equation of maximum spreading diameter of droplet impacting CP is obtained.•Analysis of the secondary droplets adopts the pixel analysis method.•Selection of different criterion numbers in process of droplet impacting CP is studied.•Effect of inclination angle of droplet impacting CP on spreading factor is studied.•Effect of velocity of droplet impacting CP on spreading facto is studied. Corrugated plate dryer (CPD) plays a vital role in the steam generator. In the CPD, the droplet impinging on the corrugated plate (CP) of the CPD, and the behavior after the impacting affects the separation efficiency of the CPD. The mechanical study of droplets movement on corrugated plate provides a theoretical basis for optimizing the design of the CPD. This paper analyzes the experimental phenomenon of droplet impacting on the dry inclined wall (DIW). The maximum spreading diameter (MSD) of droplet on the DIW is analyzed by combining theory with experiment, and a semi-empirical equation is obtained, which is fits well with the experimental data with error within 5%. The secondary droplet is analyzed by pixel analysis. The following conclusions were obtained that with the inclination angle (IA) increasing, the front spreading factor (FSF) will increases, the back spreading factor (BSF) decreases. When We increases, the SF of the droplet impacting the DIW increases, and when the Oh increases, the SF of the droplet impacting the DIW decreases. In the theoretical analysis of the separation performance of the dryer of a nuclear power plant, the influence of the Oh needs to be considered in the early stage of operation. The influence of We is mainly considered in the middle and late stages of the operation process. In the operation of nuclear power plants, artificial intelligence algorithms and control methods can be used to adjust the operating conditions of the CPD inlet droplets to ensure that the steam-water separation efficiency of CPD reaches the highest value. The above conclusion can provide guidance for the design of the CP of the steam generators in nuclear power plants.