Comparative Evaluation of Coolant Mixing Experiments at the ROCOM, Vattenfall, and Gidropress Test Facilities

Abstract

Coolant mixing is an important mitigative mechanism against reactivity accidents caused by local boron dilution. Experiments on coolant mixing were carried out at three different test facilities representing three different reactor types. These are the ROCOM test facility modelling a German KONVOI-type reactor, the Vattenfall test facility being a model of a Westinghouse three-loop PWR, and the Gidropress test facility modelling a VVER-1000 PWR. The scenario of the start-up of the first main coolant pump was investigated in all three facilities. The experiments were accompanied by velocity measurements in the downcomer for the same scenario in the ROCOM and the Vattenfall test facilities. A similar flow structure was found in these measurements in both cases. A maximum of the velocity is measured at the opposite side in regard to the position of the loop with the starting-up pump whilst a recirculation area was found just below this inlet nozzle in both facilities. The analysis of the slug mixing experiments showed also comparable flow behaviour. In accordance with the velocity measurements, the first part of the deboration is also found on the opposite side. In this region, the maximum deboration is measured in all three cases. These maximum values are in the same order of magnitude for nearly identical initial slug volumes.