Analyses of Light Gas Stratification Erosion and Break-Up Under the Effect of a Vertical Jet: CFD Simulations for a Common Test in the PANDA and MISTRA Facilities

Abstract

Accurate predictions of thermal-hydraulic phenomena in nuclear reactor containments are highly required for safety assessment and for the design of accident mitigating measures. In the present work, the results obtained by the GOTHIC and FLUENT CFD codes are compared with the experimental data of a common test conducted in the PANDA and MISTRA test facilities. The initial condition of the test describes a stratified environment, where a layer of helium-rich mixture is produced in the upper part of one vessel, which is eroded by air injection from below. The ability of both codes to reproduce the observed phenomena is discussed in terms of comparisons with helium distributions and the air plume penetration velocity.