Preparation for a New Experimental Program Addressing Core-Material-Relocation Behavior During Severe Accident With BWR Design Conditions: Conduction of Preparatory Tests Applying Non-Transfer-Type Plasma Heating Technology

A new experimental program using non-transfer type plasma heating is under consideration in JAEA to clarify the uncertainty on core-material relocation (CMR) behavior of BWR. In order to confirm the applicability of this new technology, authors performed preparatory plasma heating tests using small-scale test pieces (107 mm × 107 mm × 222 mmh). Based on these preliminary results, an excellent perspective in terms of applicability of the non-transfer plasma heating technology to the SA (Severe Accident) experimental study was obtained. Furthermore, JAEA is preparing for the next step intermediate-scale preparatory tests in 2016 using about 50 rods and a control blade that would not only confirm its technical applicability, but also some insights relevant to the issue on CMR itself.