Experiments on the risk of sump plugging on French PWR

J.M. Mattei, Y. Armand, I. Vicena, V. Gubco, J. Batalik, J. Murani, M. Davydov, O.I. Melikhov, V. N. Blinkov, Eurosafe, Berlin, 4-5 novembre 2002, Rapport IRSN-DES/552

The "Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire" has decided to perform an experimental program of studies on the risk of sump plugging in a 900MWe pressurized water reactor (PWR). A general overview of the litterature has been conducted between October 1999 and November 2000, ending by the definition of an approach methodology and the written of technical specifications. The problem identified gave rise to an European call for tenders leading to four contracts signed in november 2001. Three contracts are managed by VUEZ (Slovakia), the last by EREC (Russia). The methodology and the facilities devoted to these studies are presented in this paper, the preliminary results obversed are also presented. The objectives for 2003 to finalize the program and the safety assessment are presented.