Status of core-debris coolability experiments with real and simulant materials at Argonne National Laboratory. [LMFBR]

The two major areas of interest in the debris-bed coolability experiments at ANL are: (1) development of a data base against which existing debris bed coolability models can be compared and to provide insight into the development of future models and (2) investigation of the possible mechanisms which prevent channel formation in a debris bed with real material experiments. The mechanism under consideration are: (a) subcooling of overlying sodium, (b) UO/sub 2+x/ reduction by sodium, (c) failure of the sodium to wet the fuel and (d) concrete reaction products. Sandia has proposed that subcooling of the overlying sodium is sufficient to prevent channel formation and was the cause of the observed reduction in coolability with increasing subcooling. The results of experiments on each of the mechanisms are to be presented.