Effects of secondary depressurization on core cooling in PWR vessel bottom small break LOCA experiments with HPI failure and gas inflow

Suzuki, Mitsuhiro; Takeda, Takeshi; Asaka, Hideaki; Nakamura, Hideo

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 43(1), p.55 - 64, 2006/01

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.43.55

Effects of non-condensable gas from the accumulator tanks on secondary depressurization, as one of accident management (AM) measures in case of high pressure injection system failure, are studied at the ROSA-V/LSTF experiments simulating a ten instrument-tube break LOCA at the PWR vessel bottom. In an experiment with no gas inflow, the secondary depressurization at -55 K/h initiated by SI signal with 10 minutes delay succeeded in the LPI actuation. On the other hand, the gas inflow in another experiment degraded the primary depressurization and resulted in core uncovery before the LPI start. The third experiment with rapid secondary depressurization and continuous auxiliary feedwater supply, however, showed a possibility of long-term core cooling by the LPI actuation. RELAP5/MOD3 code analyses well predicted these experiment results and clarified that condensation heat transfer was largely degraded by the gas in the U-tubes. In addition, a primary pressure - coolant mass map was found to be useful for indication of key plant parameters of AM measures.