Experimental studies on the upward fuel discharge for elimination of severe recriticality during core-disruptive accidents in sodium-cooled fast reactors

Abstract

In order to eliminate the energetic potential in the case of postulated core-disruptive accidents (CDAs) of sodium-cooled fast reactors, introduction of a fuel subassembly with an inner-duct structure (FAIDUS) has been considered. Recently, a design option of FAIDUS which leads molten fuel to upward discharge has been considered as the reference core design of the Japan Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (JSFR). In this study, a series of experiments which consisted of three out-of-pile tests and one in-pile test were conducted to obtain experimental knowledge of the upward discharge of molten fuel. Experimental data which showed a sequence of upward fuel discharge and effects of initial pressure conditions on upward discharge were obtained through the out-of-pile and in-pile test. Preliminary extrapolation of the present results to the supposed condition in the early phase of the CDA in the JSFR design suggests that the sufficient upward flow rate of molten fuel is expected to prevent the core melting from progressing beyond the fuel subassembly scale and that the upward discharge option will be effective in eliminating the energetic potential.