Molten Core Concrete Interaction Test in VULCANO Facility Preventing Initial Interfacial Crusts
Abstract
In the frame of the Severe Accident Facilities for European Safety Targets (SAFEST) project,
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Society for installation and Reactor Safety (GRS)
have proposed to realize a Molten Corium Concrete Interaction (MCCI) test in the VULCANO facility
located at the PLINIUS experimental platform, CEA Cadarache. The MCCI test, named VBES-U5,
was carried out on July 20th, 2017. 50kg of thermite has reacted to melt a prototypic corium in a
siliceous concrete test section, which was then heated by induction. The test section was 2D
cylindrical with an inner diameter of 250 mm, an outer diameter of 500 mm, an inner height of 300
mm and outer height of 475 mm. MCCI was carried out for 40 min which conducted to an axial
ablation of 10 mm and a radial ablation of 60 mm. Great care has been taken to prevent initial crust
formation (corium composition such that initial contact temperature is above solidus, high power
during the first minutes). Nevertheless, a pronounced radial ablation has been observed for this
siliceous concrete, similarly to previous VULCANO tests in which initial crust formation was likely to
occur.
Origin : Files produced by the author(s)
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