Head loss through fibrous beds generated on different types of containment sump strainers

During a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA), the high energy jet from the break may impinge on surrounding surfaces and materials, producing a relatively large amount of fibrous debris (mostly insulation materials). The debris may be transported through the reactor containment and reach the sump strainers. Accumulation of such debris on the strainers' surface can cause a loss of Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH) and negatively affect the Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) capabilities. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (U.S.NRC) initiated the Generic Safety Issue (GSI) 191 to understand the physical phenomena involved in this type of event, and help develop the tools to prove the safety and reliability of the existing Light Water Reactors (LWR) under these conditions. Some nuclear power plants have already adopted countermeasures in an attempt to limit the effect of the debris accumulation on the ECCS performance, by replacing or modifying the existing strainer configurations. In this paper, two different strainer designs have been considered and sensitivity analysis was conducted to study the effect of the approach velocity on the pressure drop at the strainer caused by the debris accumulation. The development of the fibrous beds was visually recorded in order to correlate the head loss, the approach velocity, and the thickness of the fibrous bed. The experimental results were compared to semi-empirical models and theoretical models proposed by previous researchers.