Experimental activities for in-box LOCA of WCLL BB in LIFUS5/Mod3 facility

Highlights: • Experimental study of lithium-lead/water interaction in WCLL BB "in-box LOCA". • Set-up and description of LIFUS5/Mod3 experimental facility. • Identification of experimental test matrix for SIMMER-III code validation. -- Abstract: The new experimental facility LIFUS5/Mod3 has been designed, manufactured and installed to investigate the phenomena connected with the thermodynamic and chemical interaction between lithium-lead and water in case of in-box LOCA (Loss of Coolant Accident) of the WCLL breeding blanket concept and to validate the chemical model implemented in SIMMER code for fusion application. In order to fulfill these objectives, the necessary step is to obtain data, suitable to code validation, by means of an experimental campaign in LIFUS5/Mod3 facility, executed with controlled initial and boundary conditions. Thus, specific instrumentation and dedicated data acquisition system are installed on the facility to provide meaningful and reliable data. The final aim of the LIFUS5/Mod3 campaign is the SIMMER code validation, applying the standard methodology to post-test analyses. Besides, the expected outcomes of the tests are the improvement of the knowledge of physical behavior and of understanding of the phenomena, the investigation of the dynamic effects of energy release towards the structures and of the chemical reaction with the consequent hydrogen production, and the enlargement of the database for code validation.