CAFE experiments on the flow and freezing of metal fuel and cladding melts (1) -Test conditions and overview of the results-

In order to assess the progression and consequences of a core melt accident in a metal fueled fast reactor, knowledge of the flow and freezing behavior of the molten core material as it moves axially through and beyond the core is required. This information is important for predicting the fuel relocation process after cladding failure and post-accident heat removal requirements for achieving in-vessel retention. The Core Alloy Flow and Erosion (CAFE) experiments were performed in order to investigate the fundamental flow, metallurgical interaction, and freezing behavior of uranium-iron-type melts within iron-based trough-shaped flow channels and provide information that can support the initial development of mathematical models for such behavior. Four tests were conducted using molten uranium and two tests were performed using U-Fe eutectic mixture. In each test, 1 to 1.65 kg of melt was introduced into an inclined stainless steel trough. These test results provide understandings on fundamental flow and freezing behavior of melts including metallurgical interaction in the steel flow channels with a variety of melt and flow channel conditions and also offer useful information for developing analytical models to describe such behavior. (author)