Separate-Effects Experiments on the Hydrodynamics of Air Ingress Phenomena for the Very High Temperature Reactor

Abstract

The present study performs scaled separate-effects experiments to investigate the hydrodynamics in the air-ingress phenomena following a Depressurized Condition Cooldown in the Very High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor. First, a scoping experiment using water and brine is performed. The volumetric exchange rate is measured using a hydrometer, and flow visualizations are performed. Next, Helium-air experiments are performed to obtain three-dimensional oxygen concentration transient data using an oxygen analyzer. It is found that there exists a critical density difference ratio, before which the ingress rate increases linearly with time and after which the ingress rate slows down significantly. In both the water-brine and Helium-air experiments, this critical ratio is found to be approximately 0.7.