Scaling methodology for a reduced-height reduced-pressure integral test facility to investigate direct vessel injection line break SBLOCA

Abstract

A scaling methodology for a small-scale integral test facility was investigated in order to analyze thermal–hydraulic phenomena during a DVI (direct vessel injection) line SBLOCA (small break loss-of-coolant accident) in an APR1400 (advanced power reactor 1400 MWe) pressurized water reactor. The test facility SNUF (Seoul National University Facility) was utilized as a reduced-height and reduced-pressure integral test loop. To determine suitable test conditions for simulating the prototype in the SNUF experiment, the energy scaling methodology was propose to scale the coolant mass inventory and the thermal power for a reduced-pressure condition. The energy scaling methodology was validated with a system code (MARS) analysis for an ideally scaled-down SNUF model and that predicted a reasonable transient of pressure and coolant inventory when compared to the prototype model. For the actually constructed SNUF, the effect of scaling distortions in the test facility's thermal power and the loop geometry was analytically investigated. To overcome the limitation of the thermal power supply in the facility, the convective heat transfer between primary and secondary systems at the steam generator U-tubes was excluded and a modified power curve was applied for simulating the core decay heat. From the code analysis results for the actual SNUF model, the application of the modified power curve did not affect the major events occurring during the transient condition. The results revealed that the scaling distortion in the actual SNUF geometry also did not strongly disturb significant thermal–hydraulic phenomena such as the downcomer seal clearing. Thus, with an adoption of the energy scaling methodology, the thermal–hydraulic phenomena observed in the SNUF experiment can be properly utilized in a safety analysis for a DVI line break SBLOCA in the APR1400.