ROSA-V/LSTF vessel top head LOCA tests SB-PV-07 and SB-PV-08 with break sizes of 1.0 and 0.1% and operator recovery actions for core cooling

A series of break size parameter tests (SB-PV-07 and SB-PV-08) were conducted at the Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF) of ROSA-V Program by simulating a vessel top small break loss-of-coolant accident (SBLOCA) at a pressurized water reactor (PWR). Typical phenomena to the vessel top break LOCA and effectiveness of operator recovery actions on core cooling were studied under an assumption of total failure of high pressure injection (HPI) system. The LSTF simulates a 4-loop 3423 MWt PWR by a full-height, full-pressure and 1/48 volume scaling two-loop system. Typical phenomena of vessel top break LOCA are clarified for the cases with break sizes of 1.0 and 0.1% cold leg break equivalent. The results from a 0.5% top break LOCA test (SB-PV-02) in the early ROSA-IV Program was referred during discussion. Operator actions of HPI recovery in the 1.0% top break test and steam generator (SG) depressurization in the 0.1% top break test were initiated when temperature at core exit thermocouple (CET) reached 623 K during core boil-off. Both operator actions resulted in immediate recovery of core cooling. Based on the obtained data, several thermal-hydraulic phenomena were discussed further such as relations between vessel top head water level and steam discharge at the break, and between coolant mass inventory transient and core heat-up and quench behavior, and CET performances to detect core heat-up under influences of three-dimensional (3D) steam flows in the core and core exit. (author)