Experimental research of the MYRRHA Primary Pump hydraulic characteristics at a reduced scale

MYRRHA (Multi-purpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tech Application) is an Accelerator Driven System and includes a sub-critical pool-type fast reactor cooled by Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (LBE). The LBE circulation through the reactor core and the heat exchangers is driven by two primary pumps. These deliver LBE from the core and heat exchangers into the reactor lower plenum, creating static head required to overcome the hydraulic resistance of the reactor core elements during normal operation. In accidental scenarios such as Loss of Flow, a natural circulation flow regime is established with coolant flow through the pumps. As such, the hydraulic characteristics of the pumps will influence the coolant flow and temperatures in the reactor core. The MYRRHA primary pump is a mixed type vertical pump with upward flow which contains inlet guide vanes, an impeller and a stator. The PUmp faciLity for ScAled expeRiment (PULSAR) will be constructed at SCK CEN in order to study hydraulic characteristics and validate existing calculation methods of LBE pumps. A scaled mockup of the MYRRHA primary pump will be installed in the PULSAR test facility for the purpose of studying its hydraulic performances and cavitation characteristics. A booster pump of a similar design will be installed in the circulation loop in order to measure the pump hydraulic characteristics in transient and accident scenarios. This article presents the design of the pump test facility, test methodology and numerical results from codes such as CFD.