Abstract
Abstract Molten fuel/coolant interaction has been recognized as a key issue in the event of a reactor core disruptive accident. To support the theoretical work in this field, a series of simulation experiments was carried out. 5 kg of thermite melt at 3270 K were injected from below into a sodium pool at 770 K. The melt consisted of either mainly alumina or mainly iron. The spatial development of the interaction region into the sodium could well be understood by the instrumentation and X-ray cinematography diagnostics. The thermal interactions were observed to occur as a sequence of small local pressure events, mainly during the injection period. A large-scale vapour explosion was not observed. The conversion ratios of thermal to mechanical energy were generally low (⩽0.3%). Application of the AFDM code has helped to understand better the physical phenomena, like the melt jet break-up, that govern the thermal interaction process.
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