2 Experimental methodologies

Performing experiments in water at the elevated temperatures and pressures relevant to current generation water-cooled reactors is challenging and becomes even more so under the conditions expected in a supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) core. As one moves from unirradiated to irradiated systems, the degree of complexity and cost for experiments increase rapidly, and the available knowledge base decreases. This chapter discusses experimental facilities and methodologies for materials and water chemistry testing for SCWR development, focusing mainly on aspects unique to working in SCW. Small-scale and large-scale facilities for corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, and water chemistry testing are introduced, and some of the experimental difficulties that can be encountered are presented.