| The purpose of the work described in this thesis was to connect the PET to an available 60 HP pump, through a piping system that would allow control and measurement of the flow into the tank and perform experiments on nuclear power plant components. The experiments showcased the successful increase of the PET capabilities, in both, the flowrates achieved, and in the control the piping system provided the researchers to direct the water flow. The experiments on metal doors demonstrated how much more reliable they are when compared to the previously tested hollow-core doors, needing higher flowrates, at least twice those of the hollow-core doors to achieve the water depths that induced failures. The failures in these cases were also different than in hollow-core door experiments; in one test the door ended permanently bent with twisting of the deadbolt assembly, in two tests the deadbolt was bent and separated from the rest of the locking assembly, and in the remaining eight experiments, all performed with the deadbolt unlocked, the failure was achieved by the door popping open. |