An experimental study on the effect of coolant salinity on steam explosion

The steam explosion plays an essential role in the safety analysis of light water reactors (LWRs). Some studies have demonstrated that the occurrence of steam explosions is dependent on many factors such as melt and coolant temperatures, melt and coolant properties, non -condensable gases, etc. After the Fukushima accident, seawater as an emergency coolant and its impact on fuel coolant interactions are receiving attention. However, there is still little knowledge on the impact of seawater on steam explosion. The present study is intended to examine the effect of coolant salinity on steam explosion through a series of tests with single molten droplet falling in different coolant pools (DI water, and seawater at different salinities from 7.7 g/kg to 35 g/kg). The experimental results reveal that the salinity of coolant significantly influences the probability of spontaneous steam explosion of molten tin droplets. The probability of steam explosion generally increases with increasing salinity from 0 to 17.5 g/kg. The molten droplet in seawater experiences more pronounced deformation at same depth before the vapor film of the droplet collapses. What's more, the peak pressure generated by steam explosion in seawater is notably higher than that in DI water. The fragmentation of molten tin droplet after the explosion is enhanced accordingly.