THAI Database for Validation of Water-Cooled Reactor Safety Analysis Codes

The present paper provides a synthesis of the selected experimental database from national and international (OECD/NEA) THAI projects focused on the containment safety of water-cooled nuclear reactors. Since year 2000, more than 250 experiments have been conducted in 60 m3 THAI and 80 m3 THAI+ (extension of THAI in 2015) covering various aspects of containment safety, like thermal hydraulics, water hydrodynamics, hydrogen risk and fission products distribution behaviour. THAI experimental research also covers investigations related to the performance behaviour of safety and mitigation systems employed in water-cooled reactor containments, e.g. boiling water reactor suppression pool, passive autocatalytic recombiner, spray, and filtered containment venting system. The experimental database facilitates phenomenological insights as well as assessment and validation of safety analysis codes towards mitigation, and management of severe accidents. After presenting a synthesis of selected THAI data as "validation database", the reorientation of THAI experimental research within the scope of future National THAI and OECD/NEA THEMIS follow-up projects is briefly discussed. This reorientation emphasizes investigations on passive safety systems including those relevant to water-cooled small modular reactors.