A heat transfer analysis of the CCI experiments 1-3

This paper presents an attempt to evaluate the heat transfer rates and gas release rates in the CCI core–concrete interaction experiments 1–3, performed within the OECD MCCI project. A new method for calculating the heat transfer rates has been developed. It is based on calculating integrals of the concrete enthalpies with the help of piecewise exponential interpolation curves. The new method takes into account heat conduction in the concrete. Compared to traditional methods, the new method gives better results during slow concrete ablation, and its time resolution is significantly better. The gas release rates from the concrete were also calculated. A regression analysis was conducted for the heat transfer coefficients and gas release rates. Three correlations for the bubbling-enhanced heat transfer were developed. For the basemat, a single correlation can be used for both siliceous and limestone/common sand (LCS) concrete types. For the sidewall, two different correlations are needed for the two concrete types. With the same superficial gas velocity, the heat transfer rate to siliceous sidewalls is higher than to LCS sidewalls. This suggests that the reason for the different radial ablation rates of the concrete types observed in the tests is not the lower gas content of siliceous concrete.