Scaled-Down Moderator Circulation Test Facility at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) started the experimental research on moderator circulation as one of a the national research and development programs from 2012. This research program includes the construction of the moderator circulation test (MCT) facility, production of the validation data for self-reliant computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools, and development of optical measurement system using the particle image velocimetry (PIV). In the present paper we introduce the scaling analysis performed to extend the scaling criteria suitable for reproducing thermal-hydraulic phenomena in a scaled-down CANDU- (CANada Deuterium Uranium-) 6 moderator tank, a manufacturing status of the 1/4 scale moderator tank. Also, preliminary CFD analysis results for the full-size and scaled-down moderator tanks are carried out to check whether the moderator flow and temperature patterns of both the full-size reactor and scaled-down facility are identical.