Abstract: Aiming at the deformation issue of flow gap between reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and insulation in external reactor vessel cooling (ERVC), the effects of insulation deformation on the critical heat flux (CHF) of the bottom head were investigated with FIMR test facility within the same flow rate range. The influence laws of different factors including angle of bottom head wall, flow rate and insulation deformation on CHF of RPV wall were analyzed. The safety margin of ERVC under deformation condition was finally obtained. The results show that the CHF of the bottom head will increase as the angle of the bottom head wall increases or the flow rate increases. Compared to the CHF of the bottom head in the prototype channel, the varying amplitude of CHF under deformation condition is less than 7%. In a word, the effect of insulation deformation on CHF is not significant. What is more, the location, where the safety margin is smallest, at the bottom head wall in the deformed gap is the same with that in the normal gap, while the smallest safety margin in the deformed gap is slightly improved.