Air–water downscaled experiments and three-dimensional two-phase flow simulations of improved steam separator for boiling water reactor

•We design the improved steam separator for boiling water reactor (BWR).•The improved steam separator comprises the swirler vanes in the first-barrel section.•We evaluate separator performance by an air–water experiments and flow simulation.•The improved separator can decrease the total pressure losses by about 30%.•And the carryover performance is almost the same level as the conventional separator. Reducing the pressure losses in steam-separator systems in boiling water reactor (BWR) plants is useful for reducing the required pump head and enhancing the design margins to ensure core stability. We need to reduce the pressure losses while maintaining the gas–liquid separation performance. In this study, we improve a steam separator with air–water downscaled experiments and two-phase flow simulations. First, we confirm the effectiveness for the separator performance prediction by adjusting the quality and the two-phase centrifugal force between the air–water downscaled experiments and the steam-water mockup tests, and we design the improved steam separator, which moves the swirl-vane section from diffuser section to the first-barrel section. From the air–water downscaled experiments, the improved separator can decrease pressure loss in the swirler more than 50% around the BWR normal operating conditions compared to the conventional separator, and the carryover of the improved separator is almost the same level as the conventional separator. Next, we evaluate the improved steam separator performance under the BWR operating conditions by means of a two-phase flow simulation, and we have the prospects of the improved separator for reducing the total separator pressure losses by about 30% compared to the conventional separator, while maintaining carryover characteristics.