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Sodium cooled Fast Reactors (SFR) are built with several engineered safety features and hence a severe accident such as a core melt accident is hypothetical with a probability of

[Display omitted] • Fragmentation of simulated corium in sodium was studied using X-ray imaging system. • Fine fragments were generated, which found to solidify within short travel in sodium. • MFCI in sodium indicate a reduced potential for an energetic MFCI than that of water. • Absence of large size debris indicate favorable post-accident heat transfer in sodium. In case of a hypothetical core meltdown accident in Sodium cooled Fast Reactor (SFR), corium interacts with cold pool sodium and results in Molten Fuel Coolant Interaction (MFCI). During MFCI, the corium fragments and resultant debris settle on the core catcher as a bed and continue to generate decay heat. The size and state of fragmented debris play a crucial role in post-accident heat transfer. An experimental study has been undertaken to investigate the fragmentation of simulated corium in sodium using real-time X-ray imaging. Experiments were conducted by releasing ∼400 g of molten mixture of alumina and iron at ∼2400 °C into ∼4 kg of sodium at various temperatures. The fragmentation phenomenon was acquired using a digital flat panel detector and the captured images were subjected to image analysis to extract information on melt fragmentation. Post-experiment, fragmented debris was retrieved and subjected to sieve analysis to obtain characteristics towards assessing the dominant fragmentation mechanism. Experiments were also conducted with water for identifying key differences in the fragmentation and debris characteristics. Non-energetic fragmentation, generation of fine debris, and relatively minor sodium vaporization observed in the small-scale experiments present a reduced potential for energetic interaction in sodium than that of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The experimental data of energy release and debris fragmentation characteristics during MFCI process of SS-LBE has been obtained. • The fragmentation mechanism is discussed from hydraulic and thermal aspects to further understand the behavior of molten materials in LBE pool. • The relationship between the cumulative mass percentage of SS fragments and the fragment size approximately satisfies a power function, and the power exponent lies between 0.7 and 1.7. • Simplified models of thermal fragmentation have been established, where the innermost layer of the solidified shell is subjected to the maximum tangential compressive stress, while the outermost layer to the maximum tangential tensile stress. • Comparing the existing models with models proposed in this paper. The LFR is a candidate for the Generation-IV nuclear systems, where the process of MFCI differs from that occurred in LWRs and SFRs. In the absence of experimental study and widely applied theoretical models for LFRs, experiments on the interaction between molten SS and liquid LBE are conducted in this study under eight conditions. The morphological characteristics and fragment sizes of the products are analyzed based on the hydrodynamic effect parameter (We) and thermal effect parameter (T ic). Simplified thermal fragmentation models are established, where the innermost layer of the solidified shell is subjected to the maximum tangential compressive stress, while the outermost layer is subjected to the maximum tangential tensile stress. As the shell thickness increases, the total tangential stress of the outermost layer decreases. The fragmentation will occur when the maximum tangential stress on the shell exceeds the shell tensile strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In liquid metal fast breeder reactors, postulated failures of the plant protection system may lead to serious unprotected accidental consequences. Unprotected transients are generically categorized as transient overpower accidents and transient under cooling accidents. In both cases, core meltdown may occur and this can lead to a molten fuel coolant interaction (MFCI). The understanding of MFCI phenomena is essential for study of debris coolability and characteristics during post-accident heat removal. Sodium is used as coolant in liquid metal fast breeder reactors. Viewing inside sodium at elevated temperature is impossible because of its opaqueness. In the present study, a methodology to depict MFCI phenomena using a flat panel detector based imaging system (i.e., real time radiography) is brought out using a woods metal-water experimental facility which simulates the UO2-Na interaction. The developed imaging system can capture attributes of the MFCI process like jet breakup length, jet front velocity, fragmented particle size, and a profile of the debris bed using digital image processing methods like image filtering, segmentation, and edge detection. This paper describes the MFCI process and developed imaging methodology to capture MFCI attributes which are directly related to the safe aspects of a sodium fast reactor.

• The kPa-level pressure pulses are measured in molten copper-sodium interaction. • Hydrodynamic fragmentation is independently studied without sodium boiling. • Fragmentation mechanism is predicted under hydrodynamic and thermodynamic effects. Under Hypothetical Core Disruptive Accidents (HCDA) in Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR), Molten Fuel-Coolant Interaction (MFCI) will cause intensive fragmentation of molten fuel materials and violent sodium boiling, possibly resulting in recriticality due to sodium void effect and reactor core compaction. And the formation and sufficient cooling of core debris bed are significantly affected by the fragmentation of molten fuel materials in sodium pool. Due to approximate ambient Weber Number (We a) with molten metallic fuel, kilogram-level molten copper jet is dropped into sodium pool to study the fragmentation characteristics under varied experimental parameters in the present experiments. The nucleate boiling of liquid sodium is estimated to occur at the instantaneous contact interface between molten copper and liquid sodium. The molten copper jet suffers from intensive fragmentation and solidification to produce many fragments under thermodynamic and hydrodynamic effects. Besides, experiment with molten aluminum jet injected into sodium pool is conducted without occurrence of sodium boiling to independently study the effect of hydrodynamic interaction on interphase penetration and fragmentation. During the experiments, temperature variations and dynamic pressure change in sodium pool are monitored to evaluate energy release. The resultant fragments are recorded and measured for morphology analysis and size distribution to examine the fragmentation characteristics. Based on experimental results, the fragmentation mechanism is discussed against hydraulic and thermal factors. The present findings contribute to further understanding the fragmentation characteristics of molten corium in sodium pool and optimization of mitigation systems against MFCI for SFR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rootless cones form when partially outgassed lava interacts explosively with external water. The explosions represent an end-member system that can elucidate mechanisms of explosive magma-water interactions in the absence of magmatic fragmentation induced by outgassing. The proportion of finely fragmented ejecta (i.e., ash), generated in rootless explosions, may contribute significantly to the energy of the explosion even if the ash volume is small relative to coarser ejecta. Laboratory experiments indicate that the degree of melt-water mixing and energy release are proportional to the abundance of blocky grains, fragmented by brittle disintegration, which effectively contribute thermal energy to the system. To constrain the mechanisms and dynamics of rootless explosive activity, we assess the nature and modes of fragmentation and ejecta characteristics through morphological, textural, and density analysis of rootless tephra associated with a pāhoehoe lava flow in a lacustrine (lake basin) environment. We observe strong correlations between the mean grain size and the mass percentage of both blocky (negative power law trend) and fluidal (positive logarithmic) tephra clasts of all sizes. We interpret these trends as scale-dependent fragmentation behavior due to the decreasing efficacy of hydrodynamic fragmentation as it occurs over finer scales, especially over the ash size range. Additionally, all analyzed beds contain fine ash-sized blocky and mossy clasts, which are thought to be diagnostic of a high transfer rate of thermal to mechanical energy, characteristic of molten fuel-coolant interactions. These results agree with a recent model of rootless cone formation, prior fragmentation theory, and scaled laboratory experiments and therefore provide a field-based analog for future experimental and modeling efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of the Mio-Pleistocene monogenetic volcanoes in Western Hungary had, at least in their initial eruptive phase, phreatomagmatic eruptions that produced pyroclastic deposits rich in volcanic glass shards. Electron microprobe studies on fresh samples of volcanic glass from the pyroclastic deposits revealed a primarily tephritic composition. A shape analysis of the volcanic glass shards indicated that the fine-ash fractions of the phreatomagmatic material fragmented in a brittle fashion. In general, the glass shards are blocky in shape, low in vesicularity, and have a low-to-moderate microlite content. The glass-shape analysis was supplemented by fractal dimension calculations of the glassy pyroclasts. The fractal dimensions of the glass shards range from 1.06802 to 1.50088, with an average value of 1.237072876, based on fractal dimension tests of 157 individual glass shards. The average and mean fractal-dimension values are similar to the theoretical Koch-flake (snowflake) value of 1.262, suggesting that the majority of the glass shards are bulky with complex boundaries. Light-microscopy and backscattered-electron-microscopy images confirm that the glass shards are typically bulky with fractured and complex particle outlines and low vesicularity; features that are observed in glass shards generated in either a laboratory setting or naturally through the interaction of hot melt and external water. Textural features identified in fine- and coarse-ash particles suggest that they were formed by brittle fragmentation both at the hot melt-water interface (forming active particles) as well as in the vicinity of the interaction interface. Brittle fragmentation may have occurred when hot melt rapidly penetrated abundant water-rich zones causing the melt to cool rapidly and rupture explosively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper reports the results of an experimental investigation on the moving characteristics of molten metal droplets impacting coolant free surface. A visualization experimental facility of molten fuel coolant interactions (MFCI) is designed and set up in the present study. The lead–bismuth (Pb–Bi) alloys are employed as the metal materials. An automatic control circuit is designed and applied to control the release of the molten droplets. High-speed camera is employed to record the movement of the molten metal droplets falling down and into a coolant pool. Based on the analysis of the experimental data, a so-called “J-region” of the droplet’s velocity–time curves was found and the melt droplet enters the “J-region” when it impacts the free water surface. In the “J-region”, the velocity of the melt droplet decreases rapidly and suddenly at first, and then increases again. The droplet gradually reaches a comparatively steady velocity when it leaves the “J-region”. The present study provides essential information for further study on the fragmentation behavior of high-temperature molten droplets in coolant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Molten Fuel-Coolant Interaction (MFCI) is especially focused in Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) with the consideration of possible recriticality and predominant effect on resultant consequences. As the nuclear fuel cladding material of SFR, kilogram quantities of molten stainless steel jet are used in the present experiments to study the fragmentation behavior when discharged into sodium pool. During the interaction between molten stainless steel jet and liquid sodium, the great differences in temperature, velocity and thermophysical properties result in violent sodium boiling, hydrodynamic instability and viscous shearing at the contact interface. The molten stainless steel jet suffers from significant fragmentation under multiple interfacial forces, which increases contact interface area to enhance heat transfer. However, the accelerated solidification of molten stainless steel jet at the contact interface greatly raises the criteria of fragmentation, conversely decreasing the heat transfer. In the present study, the sodium pool depth is varied to study the effect of the dropping height of molten stainless steel and inventory of liquid sodium on the fragmentation characteristics. The temperature variations in sodium pool are measured to estimate energy release during molten stainless steel-liquid sodium interaction. The resultant stainless steel debris is recorded and measured against debris mass with respect to size intervals for morphology analysis and size distribution. Furthermore, experiments with kilogram quantities of molten copper jet are conducted in the present study. The results with molten stainless steel jet are compared to those with molten copper jet and those with molten stainless steel droplets to distinguish fragmentation characteristics. According to the present findings, adequate fragmentation of molten material can be caused by increased relative velocity, high superheat and considerable energy release capability, enhancing heat transfer and accelerating solidification of molten material. With few researches on MFCI in SFR, a fragmentation mechanism is proposed based on the growth and collapse of sodium bubbles to further understand the fragmentation behavior of molten material in sodium pool. • Effect of pool depth and molten materials on fragmentation is studied during MFCI. • Fragmentation of molten material jet is compared with that of molten droplets. • Fragmentation mechanism is discussed on growth and collapse of sodium bubbles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The energy release is analyzed during molten material-sodium interaction. • Hydrodynamic interaction is proved to cause slight jet breakup and fragmentation. • Violent sodium boiling is confirmed to cause predominant fragmentation. • Fragmentation mechanism is discussed on growth and collapse of sodium bubbles. The nuclear reactor is locally melted to form molten corium under instantaneous total blockage accidents in fuel subassembly of Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR). Molten Fuel-Coolant Interaction (MFCI) will result in violent interphase heat transfer and intensive fragmentation of molten core materials, which significantly affects the formation and cooling of core debris bed. Due to approximate ambient Weber Number (We a) with molten metallic uranium, kilogram quantities of molten copper are used as fuel simulant to drop into liquid sodium pool to study the fragmentation characteristics during MFCI. Considering the influence of instantaneous solidification at the contact interface on fragmentation, initial temperature of molten copper is decreased to obtain the instantaneous contact interface temperature (T i) less than the melting point (T mp) of copper. Furthermore, hydrodynamic fragmentation is independently examined through experiments with molten aluminum jet under different initial temperatures of molten aluminum jet. The T i between molten aluminum jet and liquid sodium is varied within the range of T mp of aluminum and boiling point (T bp) of liquid sodium. According to the present results, nucleate boiling of liquid sodium is proved to occur during molten copper-liquid sodium interaction and thermodynamic effects are much more predominant than hydrodynamic effects to cause finer fragmentation. The fragmentation of same molten material generally increases consistently with T i. Due to considerable energy release capability of molten copper, molten state can be potentially maintained at the contact interface to cause adequate fragmentation under the same thermal conditions. Instantaneous solidification originating from contact interface greatly increases the criteria of fragmentation. Due to poorer thermal attributes, molten UO 2 is provided with smaller variation rate of T i under the approximate T i , which suggests longer duration for violent sodium boiling to stimulate fragmentation. As the temperature of liquid sodium increases, interfacial instability is enhanced to fracture the solid crust with reduced thickness, contributing to fragmentation. The fragmentation caused by transition boiling seems to be more significant than that of nucleate boiling. Furthermore, the fragmentation mechanism of molten materials jet discharged into sodium pool is further discussed in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]