ROSA-V/LSTF vessel top head LOCA tests SB-PV-07 and SB-PV-08 with break sizes of 1.0 and 0.1% and operator recovery actions for core cooling

Suzuki, Mitsuhiro; Takeda, Takeshi ; Nakamura, Hideo 

A series of break size parameter tests (SB-PV-07 and SB-PV-08) were conducted at the Large Scale Test Facility of ROSA-V Program to have an insight into effects of accident management action on core cooling during a simulated vessel top break loss-of-coolant accident with a total failure assumption on the high pressure injection (HPI) system at a pressurized water reactor (PWR). Typical phenomena of vessel top break with break sizes between 1.0 and 0.1% cold leg break equivalent were clarified including upper head water level transients related to steam discharge, coolant mass inventory related to core heat-up, performance of core exit thermocouple (CET)and three-dimensional steam flows in core and core exit. Both operator actions of HPI recovery in the 1.0% top break and steam generator depressurization in the 0.1% top break resulted in immediate recovery of core cooling when these were initiated by CET heat-up at 623 K.