Transient stratification modelling of a corium pool in a LWR vessel lower head

• Published in: Nuclear engineering and design Vol. 287; pp. 68 - 77
• Main Authors: Le Tellier, R., Saas, L., Bajard, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-06-2015
• Subjects: Diffusivity; Light water reactors; Mathematical models; Modelling; Pools; Stratification; Vessels
• ISSN: 0029-5493; 1872-759X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2015.02.009

•A kinetic stratification model is proposed for the simulation of the in-vessel corium behaviour during a LWR severe accident.•The different associated “modes” of vessel failure by thermal focusing effect are highlighted and discussed.•A sensitivity study for a 1650MWe GenIII PWR is presented with this model in order to illustrate the associated R&D issues.
In the context of light water reactor severe accidents analysis, this paper is focused on one key parameter of in-vessel corium phenomenology: the immiscible phases stratification and its impact on the heat flux distribution at the corium pool lateral boundary with the so-called focusing effect related to a “thin” top metal phase and the potential vessel failure at that point. More particularly, based on the limited knowledge of the stratification transient phenomenon derived from the MASCA-RCW experiment, a basic model is proposed that can be used for corium in lower head sensitivity analyses. It has been implemented in the PROCOR platform developed at CEA Cadarache. A short parametric study on a simple hypothetical transient is presented in order to highlight the different focusing effect “modes” that can be encountered based on this in-vessel corium pool model. An early mode may occur during the formation of the top metal layer while two other modes may appear later during the thinning of this top metal layer because of thermochemically induced mass transfers. Some associated relevant parameters (model or scenario-dependent) and modelling issues are mentioned and illustrated with some results of a Monte-Carlo based sensitivity calculation on the transient behaviour of the corium in the lower head of a 1650MWe GenIII PWR. Within the limiting modelling hypotheses, the thermal modelling of the steel layer for small (centimetre) heights and the mass diffusivity (limited in this case to the uranium diffusivity in the oxidic layer) are main sensitive parameters.