Research on Debris In-Core Cooling and Retention Characteristics

The severe accident analysis model of the small modular reactor ACP100 is built using MELCOR code, and the core heat removed process through the barrel and wall of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) is analyzed by the cavity injection system (CIS). The collapse behavior of the fuel assemblies is estimated by the fuel rod degradation model, and the failure behavior of the lower core plate is estimated by ANSYS program. The results show that the fuel assemblies in the core center melt and collapse to form the core melting pool, while the structure of the fuel assemblies surrounding the core melting pool remains intact, and the core lower plate supports the core melting pool and un-collapsed fuel assemblies all the time, and no creep rupture phenomenon occurs; the core heat can be removed by CIS and the debris in-vessel retention successfully avoids the formation of molten pool in the lower head.