Experimental investigations in TROI on the risk of steam explosion

The risk of steam explosion is investigated experimentally using 5 - 20 kg of corium in TROI test facility. An observation of spontaneous steam explosion in case of zirconia and corium at eutectic composition, an observation of a strong effect of material composition, and an experimental representation of the case with layer inversion are major achievements in the experimental investigations in TROI during last several years. The results of experiments were used for the validation of computational tools as a part of OECD/SERENA phase 1 program. The OECD/SERENA phase 2 program was launched recently using KROTOS and TROI test facility to provide experimental data required for a proper understanding of the pre-mixture formation and the effect of material composition