Experimental investigation of molten metal freezing on to a structure

Abstract

During core disruptive accidents (CDAs) of Liquid Metal Reactors (LMRs), it is important to understand the freezing phenomena of molten metal, which may prevent fuel dispersal and subsequent shutdown. The present paper describes the freezing behavior of molten metal during interaction with a structure with a view to the safety of LMRs. In this study, Wood’s metal (melting point 78.8 °C) was used as a simulant melt, while stainless steel and copper were used as freezing structures. A series of simulation experiments was conducted to study the freezing behavior of Wood’s metal during pouring on to the freezing structures immersed in a coolant. In the experiments, simulant melt was poured into a stainless steel tube and finally ejected into a coolant through a nozzle so as to observe the freezing behavior of the molten metal. The penetration length and width were measured in the air cooled experiments, whereas penetration length and the proportion of adhering frozen metal were measured in water coolant experiment. The melt flow and distribution were observed in both types of experiment using a high-speed video camera. Distinct freezing modes were observed in the water coolant experiments, whereas only one freezing mode with a longer melt penetration was found in air coolant experiments. The present result will be utilized to create a relevant database for the verification of reactor safety analysis codes.