Tests of passive autocatalytic recombiner performance for BWR application

This paper describes overview of the test program to confirm passive autocatalytic recombiner performance for BWR application, and the first result obtained from the initial part of the test program. The program consists of separate effect test using catalyst test loop to investigate recombiner performance under various atmospheric conditions, and test for startup behavior and recombiner capability in the scaled test vessel. The catalyst test loop is designed so that inlet/exit gas concentration and gas/catalyst temperature can be measured, varying flow rate, gas content or presence of poisoning material. As the first stage, a series of tests was conducted, simulating natural circulation flow rate inside containment, inert (low oxygen concentration) atmosphere, and poisoning material concentration assumed in the conventional licensing evaluation of radiological consequence. The test data suggest that catalytic recombiner has sufficient performance in the BWR specific (inert) condition, and under presence of poisoning material postulated in hypothetical accident condition. The effect of low oxygen concentration or containment spray water on startup behavior and recombiner performance will be investigated in the following vessel test series. (author)