Three-dimensional analysis of water–vapor void fraction in a fusion experimental reactor under water ingress

An integrated Ingress-of-Coolant Event (ICE) test facility was constructed to demonstrate that the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) safety design approach and design parameters for the ICE are adequate. The integrated ICE test facility simulates the actual ITER components with a scaling factor of 1/1600. Before the integrated ICE experiments the water–vapor two-phase flow characteristics inside the test facility during the ICE were predicted by the three-dimensional numerical simulations using the modified Transient Reactor Analysis Code (TRAC). From the present study it was clarified numerically that the actual ITER safety approach during the ICE is adequate and the present numerical method is very effective to predict the water–vapor void fraction during the ICE.