Design of Experiments to Support VTR Core Design

To support the development of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Versatile Test Reactor (VTR), a new set of experiments has been established at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). Driven in part by the validation needs for code calculations and simulations of the reference VTR core design, three unique test facilities have been designed, or are in the process of being designed, to allow measurement of the phenomena and behavior prototypic to the full-scale VTR core. The Pressure drop Experimental Loop for Investigations of Core Assemblies in Nuclear reactors (PELICAN) facility, recently constructed and currently operational, is capable of producing full-scale flow rates for measurement of the pressure drop across a prototypic fuel assembly, including axial reflectors, fuel, and plenum components. The REDuced Scale Hydraulic Inlet Plenum (REDSHIP) experiment, beginning construction, will provide measurements of phenomena within the inlet plenum, including flow distributions through the core assembly ducts, pressure losses across the assembly receptacles, and localized velocity flow fields. A separate-effects-test experiment, called Parallel HEated ASsemblies for Advanced Nuclear Tests (PHEASANT), which is in the early stages of design, is being developed to examine the mixing of exiting core assembly jet streams within the upper plenum. As each of the test facilities becomes operational, they will begin generating timely, reliable, and qualified empirical data suitable for verification and validation of computational tools. In collaboration with other efforts across the DOE complex, the ANL experimental programs are well poised to provide continuous support for the advancement of the VTR design.