Study of the features of behaviour of overheated liquid-metal drops in gas media, water and electromagnetic field of the inductor

Abstract

Abstract A modern experimental setup designed for the melting of liquid-metal samples by the eddy current is described. A new experimental material about the behaviour of drops of the melts in` gas atmospheres (argon, air) and distilled water of room temperature is obtained. It was confirmed that during the heating of a steel drop, that is the main component of corium in case of crashes at the nuclear power plants, in air an intensive spark generation of metal (drop erosion) are observed. The latter prevents the occurrence of the film boiling regime of the coolant and contributes to the prevention of explosive fragmentation of the melt. It is shown that in an inert argon atmosphere such regime does not take place but there is another physical effect that requires additional study and which is behind the ejection of the streams (or departure of drops) of liquid metal from its surface into the surrounding space. The relation between was determined the frequency of departure of coolant (distilled water) vapour bubbles and external pressure and temperature of the heated ball. It was stated that the regime of film boiling with the departure of vapor bubbles is observed only at temperatures over 350 °C. A figure with the changing form of the inter-phase vapor-liquid surface depending on the temperature of the heated body was obtained.