Comparison of Code Calculation with Experiments on Containment Pressure Response During LOCA Conditions

Abstract

A series of experiments were performed on a one-tenth scale model of PHWR containment, incorporating pressure suppression system. The pressure-temperature transients in the model containment observed during simulated LOCA blowdown conditions were compared against calculated results from computer code PACSR, for purposes of verificatior1 of the code. Comparison of results indicated that calculated values of peak pressure in various compartment were significantly higher than observed ones. This disagreement was attributed mainly to modelling for energy absorption from containment atmosphere to structural surfaces, this effect being particularly important in a scaled down model. Good agreement between calculation and experiment was obtained after heat transfer correlation for energy absorption on surfaces were modified in the code. The study demonstrates the conservatism of the results from the code.