The Effect of the Molten Corium Temperature on the Predicted Melt Penetration Distance

Abstract

A series of experiments at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories have been planned to determine the extent of molten corium penetration in a well-cooled tube and potential for flow blockage due to solid crust formation on the tube wall. This paper addresses the potential impact of melt temperature uncertainties, commonly recognized in experiments, on the extent of melt penetration distance. The approach taken was to start with two existing and diverse melt penetration models and assess the sensitivity of their results to changes in the initial melt temperatures. Two sets of results are presented. The first is obtained by adjusting the prediction from an existing melt penetration model developed for saturated liquid melt only. The adjustment accounts for the distance that the initially superheated melt advances through the tube before cooling to saturation temperature. The second is the outcome of a sensitivity study using a different model which inherently accounts for melt superheat.