A Recent experimental program to evidence in-vessel retention by controlled material relocation during core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors

Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji; Toyooka, Junichi; Zuev, V. A.*; Ganovichev, D. A.*; Kolodeshnikov, A. A.*

Proceedings of 10th Japan-Korea Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS-10) (USB Flash Drive), 5 Pages, 2016/11

Molten fuel discharge through control rod guide tubes (CRGTs) is a key process that dominates the termination of core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors, since fuel dispersion from the core contributes to the achievement of both deeper subcriticality in the degraded core and formation of coolable debris bed. Within a framework of a collaborative research program between Japan Atomic Energy Agency and National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, called EAGLE program, a new experimental program has been started with out-of-pile experiments to clarify the fuel discharge through CRGTs. This paper presents the status of the new program, including experimental results obtained so far.