The results of 5% small-break LOCA tests and natural circulation tests at the ROSA-IV LSTF

Abstract

Five 5% small-break loss-of-coolant accident (SBLOCA) experiments and two natural circulation experiments were conducted at the ROSA-IV Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF). The liquid holdup in the upflow side of steam generator (SG) U-tubes temporarily depressed the core collapsed liquid level below the bottom of core during the loop seal clearing in the cold-leg break SBLOCA tests. This phenomena was affected by the core power and core bypass but was affected little by the actuation of the high pressure injection system. Overall thermal-hydraulic phenomena in a loop seal line break test was similar to that of cold-leg break tests, however, the liquid holdup phenomena played a little role. In a hot-leg break test a temporary but rapid depression of the core liquid level was observed immediately after the initiation of accumulator injection which caused condensation and depressurization in the cold leg. The change of natural circulation flow rate with the decrease of primary system mass inventory was qualitatively the same as observed in Semiscale, LOBI and PKL. The SG effective overall heat transfer coefficient below the secondary-side collapsed liquid level was weakly dependent on the secondary side liquid level and the core power. The measured minimum heat transfer coefficient was 1.7 kW/m 2K for the full secondary side mass inventory.