# Nuclear Science and Techniques

《核技术》(英文版) ISSN 1001-8042 CN 31-1559/TL     2019 Impact factor 1.556

Nuclear Science and Techniques ›› 2013, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (1): 010602

• NUCLEAR ENERGY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING •

### Empirical correlations for predicting the self-leveling behavior of debris bed

CHENG Songbai, YAMANO Hidemasa, SUZUKI Tohru, TOBITA Yoshiharu, NAKAMURA Yuya, ZHANG Bin, MATSUMOTO Tatsuya, MORITA Koji

1. 1Advanced Nuclear System R&D Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 4002 Narita, O-arai, Ibaraki, 311-1393, JAPAN
2Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Moto-oka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, JAPAN
• Received:2012-10-26
• Supported by:

Supported by an annual joint research project between Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Kyushu University

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CHENG Songbai, YAMANO Hidemasa, SUZUKI Tohru, TOBITA Yoshiharu, NAKAMURA Yuya, ZHANG Bin, MATSUMOTO Tatsuya, MORITA Koji. Empirical correlations for predicting the self-leveling behavior of debris bed.Nuclear Science and Techniques, 2013, 24(1): 010602
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Abstract:

Studies on the self-leveling behavior of debris bed are crucial for the assessment of core-disruptive accident (CDA) occurred in sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR). To clarify this behavior over a comparatively wider range of gas velocities, a series of experiments were performed by injecting nitrogen gas uniformly from a pool bottom. Current experiments were conducted in a cylindrical tank, in which water, nitrogen gas and different kinds of solid particles, simulate the coolant, vapor (generated by coolant boiling) and fuel debris, respectively. Based on the quantitative data obtained (mainly the time variation of bed inclination angle), with the help of dimensional analysis technique, a set of empirical correlations to predict the self-leveling development depending on particle size, particle density and gas injection velocity was proposed and discussed. It was seen that good agreement could be obtained between the calculated and experimental values. Rationality of the correlations was further confirmed through detailed analyses of the effects of experimental parameters such as particle size, particle density, gas flow rate and boiling mode. In order to facilitate future analyses and simulations of CDAs in SFRs, the obtained results in this work will be utilized for the validations of an advanced fast reactor safety analysis code.