OECD PKL2 Project – Final Report on the ROCOM Tests

In the frame of the OECD PKL 2 Project the Test G3.1 was conducted at the PKL test facility. This test was dedicated to the investigation of a fast cool down transient. The transient was initiated by a main steam line break. One of the main objectives of this test was the creation of an experimental data base for the qualification of thermal hydraulic codes against Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) and re-criticality aspects. The results of this test are documented in (Dennhardt, 2011). Roughly this test can be divided into two main phases. After opening of the leak on the secondary side of one steam generator, the increased heat transfer leads to an overcooling of the corresponding loop. This overcooling continues till the full evaporation of the steam generator. In the second phase of the transient the emergency core cooling (ECC) system is activated injecting highly borated cold water into the cold legs of two loops.
To investigate in more detail the thermal hydraulic behavior in both phases inside the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) complementary tests on the coolant mixing were conducted at the ROCOM (ROssendorf COolant Mixing) test facility. Experimental results at the RPV inlet derived from the Test G3.1 were used as boundary conditions for the ROCOM tests.
Altogether five ROCOM tests have been conducted within the OECD PKL2 Project. The tests ROCOM 1.1, 2.1 and 2.2 were dedicated to the overcooling phase of the related transient while the tests ROCOM 1.2 and 1.3 are dealing with the ECC injection phase of the transient.