The dissolution of austenitic steel in liquid lead-based alloys can induce a phase transformation characterized by a sharp dissolution front separating ferrite and austenite grains, a process commonly referred to as ferritization. Although widely reported, the mechanism driving this transformation remains under debate. This study re-examines ferritization as a discontinuous reaction via a migrating liquid film and proposes a thermodynamically consistent model for the initiation and propagation of the dissolution front. The proposed mechanism is supported by experiments at 500–550°C, literature evidence, and diffusion calculations. Under low oxygen conditions, Cr transport through liquid Pb channels is identified as the rate-limiting step, setting the theoretical corrosion rate in stagnant environments. High-speed erosion-corrosion tests show enhanced corrosion rates, driven by erosion-limited channel lengths that locally boost mass transport. In contrast, under moderate oxygen concentrations relevant for lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) operation, the rate-limiting step shifts to metal transport across a nanometer-scale amorphous oxide layer at the reaction front. Other Ni-containing austenitic steels, including alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) alloys and Ni-based high-entropy alloys (HEAs) can also be susceptible to discontinuous reactions under direct contact with liquid Pb-based alloys, lacking the self-healing oxide protection as observed in alumina-forming ferritic steels. This limitation may present a concern for the long-term use of bare austenitic steel in liquid Pb environments.

In engineering systems operating under high Schmidt (Sc) or Prandtl (Pr) number flow conditions, the demand for near-wall mesh refinement increases significantly, underscoring the need for cost-effective modeling approaches that avoid additional computational overhead. Existing models, which are predominantly designed for low-Sc flows, overlook temporal filtering effects, resulting in inaccuracies in theoretical description and mass transfer predictions. This paper addresses the impact of high Sc or Pr by refining the single-layer scalar diffusivity model. It introduces a switch between scalar filtering and eddy viscosity-dominated regions, leveraging two parameters: κ Sc, accounting for temporal filtering effects, and κ Re, addressing variations in Reynolds number. In addition, we adopted a complementary outer layer term to model the upwarding trend in low frictional Reynolds number condition. Using the two-layer model with unity Sc and/or Pr, a close agreement with the von-Kármán constant in the velocity boundary layer was observed. The modified model demonstrated strong agreement with scalar profiles across a broad range of Sc and friction Reynolds numbers (Reτ) in direct numerical simulation and large eddy simulation data, demonstrating its accuracy at low Reτ and predictive performance at high Reτ. The two-layer model improves the prediction of turbulent mass transfer, providing better alignment with high Sc engineering correlations than existing wall model approach. This study provides valuable insight for modeling the mass and heat transfer processes under high Sc or Pr conditions.

Steam injection through spargers into a Pressure Suppression Pool (PSP) is used to prevent containment overpressure during primary system depressurization in normal operation and accident conditions. Direct Contact Condensation (DCC) of steam induces mass, momentum, and heat sources and thermal stratification can develop in the pool if the momentum source is not sufficient to overcome the buoyancy created by the heat source. The thermal stratification reduces the heat storage capacity of the pool, increasing the pool surface temperature and thus containment pressure compared to mixed pool configuration. In this work we analyze the results of the large scale pool experiments in PANDA and PPOOLEX facilities to develop better understanding of the phenomena and regimes that govern the multi-scale system. Specifically, we compare the results of the tests performed with the steam injection through the sparger head (horizontal injection) and the load reduction ring (downwards injection). We demonstrate that the response of the pool in terms of stable position of the thermocline and velocity of the thermocline motion can be described with proper selection of the non-dimensional scaling parameters for both facilities and directions of the steam injection. We also summarize and interpret other observations from the tests that are important for understanding of the pool thermohydraulic phenomena and development of respective predictive capabilities.

A Separate Effect Facility (SEF-POOL) was designed to measure the time-averaged momentum induced by steam injection into a subcooled water pool. Recent analysis of large-scale pool data has shown that the turbulence generated by the steam injection affects not only velocity field in the vicinity of the steam injection point but also integral pool behavior (thermal mixing and stratification). Unfortunately, the application of existing techniques for the velocity field measurements (such as Particle Image Velocimetry) is difficult due to presence of small gas bubbles and significant temperature gradients in the liquid. In this paper we introduce an experimental approach to quantification of the velocity field using Bubble based Particle Tracking Velocimetry (Bub-PTV) in which the streamwise velocity is inferred by stereoscopic tracking of air bubbles entrained by the flow. This paper presents the development of in-house code for bubble tracking and preliminary results obtained from the tests using water injection into a water pool. These water injection tests are intended to verify the setup of the experiment (e.g. air generating system, stereo cameras) and provide databases for code development and validation. The results are also compared with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations performed in ANSYS Fluent, and good agreement was achieved. The experimental measurements suggest that the proposed approach can provide a 3D velocity field measurement of the jet. Moreover, it indicates the potential of Bub-PTV as a reliable technique for measuring downstream axial velocity fields induced by steam injection.

The time-averaged Effective Momentum Source (EMS) induced by steam injection into a subcooled water pool was measured in a Separate Effect Facility (SEF-POOL) under a wide range of injection conditions. Post-test simulations of large-scale pool experiments conducted in PANDA and PPOOLEX facilities indicate that diffusion of the momentum is another important factor that determines the downstream momentum transport and dynamics of the stratified layer. Thereby, an experimental quantification approach was introduced to measure the streamwise velocity profiles induced by steam injection. It is achieved by using Bubble based Particle Tracking Velocimetry (Bub-PTV) where the velocity is inferred by stereoscopic tracking of the injected air bubbles. In the previous work, we validated the approach using tests with water injection. In this paper, we discuss Bub-PTV application to steam injection tests. The Bub-PTV code was further developed to improve the performance of bubble detection under the steam injection conditions. The momentum induced by steam injection diffuses much faster compared to the single-phase liquid jet injection. We demonstrate that, in the far field where steam has condensed completely, the jet can be simulated using a single-phase solver with the Effective Heat and Momentum sources (EHS/EMS) models along with an additional turbulence source term to account for the turbulence generated in the process of steam condensation. Good agreement can be achieved on the downstream velocity profiles if the added turbulence source is properly calibrated.

An experimental setup has been designed and manufactured at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm to investigate the internal structure of boiling two-phase water flow under prototypical Light Water Reactor (LWR) core conditions, including those relevant to PWR, BWR and SMR designs. The setup is based on the High-pressure WAter Test (HWAT) loop, designed for 25 MPa pressure, 1 kg/s water mass flow rate and 1 MW thermal power. The facility has been updated with a new test section and advanced instrumentation systems to enable measurements in both forced convection and natural circulation, under steady-state and transient operations. This novel experimental setup allows for the first-time measurements of radial distributions of local two-phase flow parameters under high-pressure LWR core conditions. The resulting data is intended to enhance the fundamental understanding of boiling two-phase flow phenomena, contribute to the development of closure laws (including for polydispersed flow) and support the validation of computational codes (1-D and 3-D). The paper presents the loop design, the updated instrumentation with associated uncertainties, and data post-processing methods (including the derivation of dispersed phase length scales). Results from commissioning tests, such as heat balance tests and single-phase tests, are presented. Examples of high-pressure boiling two-phase flow measurements are presented and discussed. Fundamental behavior and associated key parameters, including radial distributions of void fraction, mixture velocity, interfacial length scales and polydispersed characteristics, are identified and quantified.

This article presents the experimental results and the phenomenological analyses of the H2P4 tests performed in the PANDA facility, within the OECD/NEA HYMERES project. H2P4 series is characterized by two phases: (i) the steam injection in the water pool with development of thermally stratified layer and pressurization of the system, and (ii) water spray injection above the pool to depressurize the gas space. This article analyzes two tests that are characterized by different sparger submergence levels. The results indicate that the sparger submergence affects the pool's thermal behavior, and the pressurization history. A decrease in submergence height leads to a faster pressurization of the vessel. An analysis of the experimental data is carried out using mass and energy balances for the liquid and gas volumes. This analysis contributes to the understanding of the pool phenomena and suggests that mass and energy are lost through vaporization at the liquid–gas interface and a significant amount of steam is condensed at the walls.

Nordic Boiling Water Reactors employ filtered containment venting and ex-vessel debris coolability in the deep pool located under the reactor pressure vessel as cornerstones of their severe accident management strategy. This paper focuses on the uncertainty analysis of the source term in accident sequences that result in filtered containment venting to the environment using the MELCOR code. The impact of uncertain MELCOR modeling parameters and modeling options on the timing and magnitude of the source term released to the environment has been evaluated in accident sequences initiated by a large break LOCA and SBO. The performed simulations illustrate the effect of MELCOR modeling parameters and options on the code's predictions of severe accident progression, event timing, and the magnitude of the source term released to the environment in different accident scenarios. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of various retention mechanisms that limit the release of fission products into the environment.

The ex-vessel severe accident (SA) mitigation strategy in Nordic Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) relies on drywell flooding. In the event of the reactor lower head failure corium is released into the water pool in the drywell. The corium jet is expected to fragment, quench, and form a coolable debris bed, ultimately preventing containment failure and release of radioactive products into the environment. During corium fragmentation in water, a vapor film is formed around the melt preventing direct melt-water contact and limiting the heat transfer between the two liquids. In case of vapor film collapse an explosive conversion of thermal energy of the melt into the mechanical energy of the evaporating volatile coolant may be triggered. These phenomena are often called steam explosion (SE). The resulting pressure wave may propagate through the water-corium mixture, escalate and form a shock wave with the potential to challenge containment integrity. There are significant phenomenological and scenario uncertainties associated with steam explosion. The problem of the uncertainty quantification in the risk analysis is exacerbated further by (i) the chaotic nature of the steam explosion phenomena and (ii) the lack of steam explosion modelling codes based on the modern numerical methods with increased stability and accuracy. The goal of this work is to develop a numerical code SEMRA (Steam Explosion Modelling and Risk Analysis) for modelling of melt-coolant interactions and assessment of the risk of containment failure due to steam explosion. In this paper, we focus on the development of the deterministic part of the code that utilizes improved numerical methods to assess the propagation of steam explosions. The objective is to verify the implemented numerical schemes for pressure propagation and to establish a reference solution for the next stage of code development which incorporates more comprehensive thermodynamic modelling and transport phenomena relevant to steam explosion. Specifically, we address the phenomena shock wave triggering and propagation. We implement a numerically stable code using AUSM+ -up, Godunov and HLLC schemes to model multiphase flow. We evaluate the performance of SEMRA code against several known verification and validation problems. Then we use SEMRA code to simulate triggering tests carried out in KROTOS facility and compare the results against the experiment and TEXAS-V code calculations. We analyze the effect of the flux reconstruction method, the vanishing phase treatment and the spatial discretization on the results. We discuss the results and their contribution to the enhancement of triggering and propagation modelling in a SE code.

Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) employs the Pressure Suppression Pool (PSP) as a heat sink to prevent overpressure of the reactor vessel and containment. Steam can be injected into the PSP through spargers in normal and accident conditions and through blowdown pipes in case of a loss of coolant accident (LOCA). There is a safety limit on the maximum PSP temperature at which such steam injection might cause dynamic loads on the containment structures. The performance of the pool can be affected if thermal stratification is developed when temperature of the hot layer grows rapidly while cold layer remains inactive. Simulation of pool behavior during realistic accident scenarios requires validated models that can sufficiently address the interaction between phenomena, safety systems and operational procedures. Direct modeling of steam injection into a water pool in long-term transients is computationally expensive due to the need to resolve simultaneously the smallest space and time scales of individual steam bubbles and the scales of the whole PSP. To enable PSP analysis for practical purposes, Effective Heat source and Effective Momentum source (EHS/EMS) models have been proposed that avoid the need to resolve steam-water interface. This paper aims to implement mechanistic approaches previously developed by authors for the simulation of transient thermal stratification and mixing phenomena induced by steam injection through spargers in a Nordic BWR PSP. The latest version of the EHS/EMS models using the 'Unit cell' approach has been validated against integral effect pool tests and applied to plant simulations. Several scenarios with boundary conditions corresponding to postulated accident sequences were simulated to investigate the possibility of stratification development and the effects of activation of different systems (e.g., blowdown pipes, high momentum nozzle) on the pool behavior.