CFD simulation of fibre material transport in a PWR core under loss of coolant conditions

Abstract

Abstract During a postulated cold leg LOCA with hot leg ECC injection, a limited amount of small fractions of the insulation material after passing the sump strainers can enter the upper plenum and can accumulate at the fuel element spacer grids, preferably at the uppermost grid level. This effect might affect the ECC flow into the core and could result in degradation of core cooling. The CFD simulations show that after starting the sump mode, the ECC water injected through the hot legs flows down into the core at so-called “brake through channels” located at the outer core region where the downward leg of the convection role had established. The hotter, lighter coolant rises in the center of the core. As a consequence, the insulation material is preferably deposited at the uppermost spacer grids positioned in the break through zones. This means that at the beginning the fibers are not uniformly deposited over the core cross section.