Investigation on the effect of low aspect ratio on heat transfer characteristics for light metallic layer

Abstract The nuclear safety and the integrity of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) could be ensured by the In-Vessel Retention (IVR) strategy during the severe nuclear accident. The HEat transfer behavior of Light Metallic layer experiment for the Low aspect Ratio (HELM-LR) has been established to investigate the heat transfer characteristics and the concentration factor of the light metallic layer in a three-dimensional molten pool. The melt simulant is water. The test section is heated from below and can be cooled from both top and side. The experimental results demonstrate that the melt temperature increases along the vertical direction and decreases along the radial direction. The possible natural convection in the light metallic layer is formed, due to the temperature difference between the melt near the center and the melt near the sidewall. However, the effect of the natural convection would be limited with the low aspect ratio (H/D). Increasing the top cooling could lead to reducing the concentration factor (qside/qinput). When the bottom heat flux is 1 MW/m2 and the concentration factor is below 204%, the heat flux transferred to the AP1000 sidewall would not exceed the Critical Heat Flux (CHF) and the effect of IVR strategy would be enhanced. Consequently, it could avoid the vessel failure during the nuclear severe accident.