First 3D numerical simulations validated with experimental measurements during a LOVA reproduction inside the new facility STARDUST-Upgrade

• We model supersonic, turbulent 3D flow in the “STARDUST-Upgrade” facility.
• We simulate air expansion into a low pressure vessel.
• We compare numerical results with experimental results.

The aim of this work is to simulate a Loss of Vacuum Accident (LOVA) in the STARDUST (Small Tank for Aerosol Removal and DUST)-UPGRADE facility. These events are one of the major safety concerns in Tokamaks, since they can cause the mobilization and the dispersion of radioactive dust contained in a fusion reactor. The first step in the study of a LOVA event is the estimation, by means of numerical simulations, of the pressurization transient in the vacuum chamber. The STARDUST-UPGRADE facility, which has a cylindrical shape, is considered as a case study. An air inlet is located in a radial position with respect to the facility, so the numerical domain is symmetric and, therefore, only a half of it has been considered in the simulation. A time-dependent mass flow rate is imposed at the inlet, in a range consistent with experimental estimates. The simulation takes 20 s and the attention is focused on the mean pressure value over time and on the Mach number distribution. The results are presented and discussed in the perspective of simulating LOVAs in ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor).