Melt Quenching by Water Injection From Below: Co-Injection of Water and Noncondensable Gas

Experiments on melt quenching by the injection of water from below were conducted. The test section represented one-dimensional flow-channel simulation of the bottom injection of water into a core melt in the reactor cavity. The melt simulant was lead-bismuth alloy. For the experimental conditions employed (i.e., melt depth and water flow rates), it was found that: 1) the volumetric heat removal rate increased with increasing water mass flow rate and 2) the non-condensable gas mixed with the injected water had no impairing effect on the overall heat removal rate. Implications of these findings for ALWR ex-vessel coolability are discussed.