SAMPO-P: A prototypical scale low-temperature experiment on two-layer melt pool heat transfer in LWR lower head

Abstract

To better understand the thermal behavior of a two-layer melt pool with a high Rayleigh number—a pattern observed in the RASPLAV study, which indicates a significant risk to pressure vessel integrity and the success of in-vessel retention (IVR) strategies—this paper reports experimental findings from a 2D, full-scale (1:1 ratio) prototypical stratified melt pool (SAMPO-P). A series of experimental tests were carried out with varying heating powers and top layer heights, achieving a Rayleigh number of 3.77×1015, comparable to that found in light water reactors (LWR). Water was used to simulate the bottom layer, while n-octanol represented the top layer. Internal decay heat was modeled in the bottom layer using electric heating rods. After analyzing the main heat transfer parameters from the experiment, this paper derived several useful heat transfer correlations. The normalized temperature and heat flux distributions remained consistent across different power levels, and the normalized heat flux in the bottom layer aligned well with existing experimental correlations. In the bottom layer, the downward heat transfer coefficient was lower compared to other single-layer correlations, likely due to increased upward heat transfer.