CSNI1015 ACHILLES. (Abstract last modified 01-AUG-2001)
1.
NAME OF EXPERIMENT - ACHILLES. 2.
COMPUTER FOR WHICH PROGRAM IS DESIGNED AND OTHER MACHINE VERSION PACKAGES AVAILABLE -
To request or retrieve programs click on the one of the active versions below.
A password and special authorization is required. Explanation of the status codes.
Machines used:
Package-ID Orig.Computer Test Computer
CSNI1015/01
3.
DESCRIPTION OF TEST FACILITY - 4.
DESCRIPTION OF TESTS - 5.
EXPERIMENTAL LIMITATIONS OR SHORTCOMINGS - 6.
PHENOMENA TESTED - Heat transfer in the core of a PWR during a reflood phase of postulated large break LOCA. 7.
SPECIAL FEATURES OF EXPERIMENTS - 8.
COUNTERPART EXPERIMENTS - 9.
STATUS 10.
REFERENCES - 11.
TEST DESIGNATION - Achilles Rig. 12.
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE -CSNI1015/01: 15.
ESTABLISHMENT - 16.
MATERIAL AVAILABLE -CSNI1015/01: 17.
CATEGORIES - Keywords: HEAT TRANSFER, LOSS-OF-COOLANT ACCIDENT, PWR REACTORS, REFLOODING
Program-name Package-ID Status
ACHILLES CSNI1015/01 Arrived
The most important features of the Achilles rig were the shroud vessel, which contained the test section, and the downcomer. These may be thought of as representing the core barrel and the annular downcomer in the reactor pressure vessel.
The test section comprises a cluster of 69 rods in a square array within a circular shroud vessel. The rod diameter and pitch (9.5 mm and 12.6 mm) were typical of PWR dimensions. The internal diameter of the shroud vessel was 128 mm. Each rod was electrically heated over a length of 3.66 m, which is typical of the nuclear heated length in a PWR fuel rod, and each contained 6 internal thermocouples. These were arranged in one of 8 groupings which concentrated the thermocouples in different axial zones.
The spacer grids were at prototypic PWR locations. Each grid had two thermocouples attached to its trailing edge at radial locations. The axial power profile along the rods was an 11 step approximation to a "chopped cosine". The shroud vessel had 5 heating zones whose power could be independently controlled .
The Achilles experiments investigated the heat transfer in the core of a Pressurised Water Reactor during the reflood phase of a postulated large break loss of coolant accident. The results provided data to validate codes and to improve modelling.
Different types of experiments were carried out which included single phase cooling, reflood under low flow conditions, level swell and reflood under high flow conditions. Three series of experiments were performed. The first and the third used the same test section but the second used another test section, similar in all respects except that it contained a partial blockage formed by attaching sleeves (or "balloons") to some of the rods.
CSNI1015/01: 01-AUG-2001 Arrived at NEADB
CSNI1015/01:
- A. Mason and M.L. Hood:
Data Processing for the Achilles Experiments
AEEW-R 2321 (March 1991)
- P. Dore and K.G. Pearson:
Achilles Ballooned Cluster Experiments
AEA-TRS-1060, AEEW-2590
- K.G. Pearson and M.K. Denham:
Achilles Unballooned Cluster Experiments
Part 1: Description of the Achilles Rig, Test Section and Experimental
Procedures
AEEW-R 2336 (November 1989)
- K.G. Pearson and M.K. Denham:
Achilles Unballooned Cluster Experiments
Part 2: Single Phase Flow Experiments
AEEW-R 2337 (May 1989)
- K.G. Pearson and M.K. Denham:
Achilles Unballooned Cluster Experiments
Part 3: Low Flooding Rate Reflood Experiments
AEE2-R 2338 (June 1989)
- K.G. Pearson and M.K. Denham:
Achilles Unballooned Cluster Experiments
Part 4: Low Pressure Level Swell Experiments
AEEW-R 2339 (June 1989)
- P. Dore and M.K. Denham:
Achilles Unballooned Cluster Experiments
Part 5: Best Estimate Experiments
AEEW-R 2412 (July 1990)
- P. Dore and D.S. Dhuga:
Achilles Unballooned Cluster Experiments
Part 6: Flow Distribution Experiments
AEA-RS-1064 (December 1991)
- B.J. Holmes:
ISP 25 Comparison Report AEA-TRS-1043 (February 1991)
The programme includes the following types of experiments:
- on an unballooned cluster:
-- single phase air flow
-- low pressure level swell
-- low flooding rate reflood
-- high flooding rate reflood
- on a ballooned cluster containing 80% blockage formed by 16 balloon sleeves
-- single phase air flow
-- low flooding rate reflood
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