Postaccident Heat Removal—Part II: Heat Transfer from an Internally Heated Liquid to a Melting Solid

Microwave heating has been used in studies of heat transfer from a horizontal layer of internally heated liquid to a melting solid. Experiments were designed to simulate heat transfer and meltthrough processes of importance in the analysis of postaccident heat removal capabilities of nuclear reactors. Glycerin, heated by 2.45-GHz microwave radiation, was used to simulate molten fuel. Paraffin wax was used to simulate a melting barrier confining the fuel. Experimentally measured heat fluxes and melting rates were consistent with a model based on downward heat transfer by conduction through a stagnant liquid layer and upward heat transfer augmented by natural convection. Melting and displacement of the barrier material occurred by upward-moving droplets randomly distributed across the melting surface. Results indicated that the melting and displacement process had no effect on the heat transfer process.