Experimental Studies on Breakup and Fragmentation Behavior of Molten Tin and Coolant Interaction

Jet breakup and fragmentation behavior significantly affect the likelihood (and ultimate strength) of steam explosion, but it is very challenging to assess the potential damage to reactor cavity due to general lack of knowledge regarding jet breakup phenomena. In this study, the METRIC (mechanism study test apparatus for melt-coolant interaction) was launched at Shanghai Jiao Tong University to investigate FCI physics. The first five tests on molten tin and water interactions are analyzed in this paper. Significant breakup and fragmentation were observed without considerable pressure pulse, and intense expansion of droplets in local areas was observed at melt temperature higher than 600°C. The chain interactions of expansion all ceased, however, and there was no energetic steam explosion observed. Quantitative analysis on jet breakup length and debris was studied to investigate the effect of the melt temperature, initial diameter of the jet, and so on. Furthermore, the results of tests were compared with current theories. It is found that melt temperature has strong impact on fragmentation that need to be embodied in advanced fragmentation models.

[1]  Aaas News,et al.  Book Reviews , 1893, Buffalo Medical and Surgical Journal.

[2]  H. Will,et al.  PREMIX experiments PM12-PM18 to investigate the mixing of a hot melt with water , 2001 .

[3]  D. J. Buchanan,et al.  Self-triggering of small-scale fuel-coolant interactions: I. Experiments , 1976 .

[4]  Dong Ha Kim,et al.  Experimental Study of Melt Jet Breakup in Water , 2003 .

[5]  John W. Miles,et al.  On the generation of surface waves by shear flows Part 3. Kelvin-Helmholtz instability , 1959, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[6]  Michael L. Corradini,et al.  Vapor explosions in light water reactors: A review of theory and modeling , 1988 .

[7]  Yutaka Abe,et al.  Study on Jet Breakup Behavior at Core Disruptive Accident for Fast Breeder Reactor , 2008 .

[8]  K. Koyama,et al.  Study on thermal-hydraulic behavior during molten material and coolant interaction , 2004 .

[9]  C. A. Blomquist,et al.  Modeling of thermal and hydrodynamic aspects of molten jet/water interactions , 1989 .

[10]  B. Min,et al.  An Investigation of the Particle Size Responses for Various Fuel-Coolant Interactions in the TROI Experiments , 2008 .

[11]  Yutaka Abe,et al.  Fragmentation behavior during molten material and coolant interactions , 2006 .

[12]  M. Bürger,et al.  Breakup of melt jets as pre-condition for premixing: Modeling and experimental verification , 1995 .

[13]  I. Huhtiniemi,et al.  Insight into steam explosions with corium melts in KROTOS , 2001 .

[14]  D Magallon,et al.  Experimental investigation of 150-kg-scale corium melt jet quenching in water , 1997 .

[15]  I. Huhtiniemi,et al.  Corium melt quenching tests at low pressure and subcooled water in FARO , 2001 .

[16]  B. R. Sehgal,et al.  Experimental and analytical studies of melt jet-coolant interactions: a synthesis , 1999 .

[17]  L. Scriven,et al.  Interfacial turbulence: Hydrodynamic instability and the marangoni effect , 1959 .

[18]  M. Epstein,et al.  Applications of the Turbulent Entrainment Assumption to Immiscible Gas-Liquid and Liquid-Liquid Systems , 2001 .

[19]  J. Miles.  On the generation of surface waves by shear flows , 1957, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.