Comparative Calculations of TROI TS-2 and TS-3 Steam Explosion Experiments With TEXAS-V

During a severe accident, contact of the molten corium with the coolant water may cause an energetic steam explosion which is a rapid increase of explosive vaporization by transfer to the water of a significant part of the energy in the corium melt. This steam explosion has been considered as an adverse effect when the water is used to cool the molten corium and could threaten reactor vessel, reactor cavity, containment integrity. In this study, TROI TS-2 and TS-3 experiments as part of the OECD/SERENA-2 project were analyzed with TEXAS-V. Input parameters were based on actual TROI experiment data. In mixing simulations, calculated results were compared to melt front behavior, void fraction in trigger time and other parameters in experiment results. In explosion simulations, corresponding to TROI experiments an external triggering was employed at the moment that melt front reached heights of 0.4 m. Calculated results of peak pressure and impulse at the bottom were compared with TROI experiment results. Melt front behaviors of the melt was different from the experimental results in both TS-2 and TS-3. Void fraction in triggering time in TS-2 was in good agreement with the experiment results and in TS-3 was slightly overestimated. The peak pressure and impulse at bottom were successfully predicted by TEXAS-V. These calculations will allow establishing whether the limitations and differences observed in the simulations of the experiments are important for the reactor case.