Open AccessPrototypic Thermal-Hydraulic Experiment in NRU to Simulate Loss-of-Coolant Accidents
Author(s) -
C.L. Mohr,
G.M. Hesson,
G.E. Russcher,
R. K. Marsh,
Lisa King,
N.J. Wildung,
W. Rausch,
Wendy D. Bennett
Publication year - 1981
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/1080074
Subject(s) - bundle , nuclear engineering , loss of coolant accident , thermal hydraulics , environmental science , coolant , materials science , mechanics , nuclear physics , engineering , physics , heat transfer , composite material
Quick-look test results are reported for the initial test series of the Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) Simulation in the National Research Universal {NRU) test program, conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). This test was devoted to evaluating the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of a full-length light water reactor (LWR) fuel bundle during the heatup, reflood, and quench phases of a LOCA. Experimental results from 28 tests cover reflood rates of 0.74 in./sec to 11 in./sec and delay times to initiate reflood of 3 sec to 66 sec. The results indicate that current analysis methods can predict peak temperatures within 10% and measured quench times for the bundle were significantly less than predicted. For reflood rates of 1 in./sec where long quench times were predicted (>2000 sec}, measured quench times of 200 sec were found