Prediction of flow-regime characteristics in pool sloshing behavior with solid particles

To understand the pool sloshing behavior with unmelted core materials during a core disruptive accident of sodium-cooled fast reactors, in our earlier publication a series of simulated experiments was performed using different solid particles. It was recognized that due to the different interaction mechanisms between solid particles and the gas bubble injected, three kinds of flow regimes, termed respectively as the bubble-impulsion dominant regime, the transitional regime and the bed-inertia dominant regime, could be identified. In this work, a regime map is developed to describe the regime transition by considering the competitive role between the bubble impulsion and bed inertia during the sloshing process. It is found that a respectable agreement between experiments and the regime-map predictions could be achieved given current range of conditions including much difference in particle size, particle bed height, particle density and the gas-injection pressure.