Review of experimental results of light water reactor core melt progression

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Nuclear Technology; (United States)

OSTI ID:5667149

Hobbins, R R; Petti, D A; Osetek, O J; Hagrman, D L ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Engineering Lab., EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (US)

This paper reports on results from integral-effects core melt progression experiments and from the examination of the damaged core of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor which are reviewed to gain insight on key severe accident phenomena. The experiments and the TMI-2 accident represent a wide variety of conditions and physical scales, yet several important phenomena appear to be common to core melt progression. Eutectic interactions between core materials cause the formation of liquids and loss of original core geometry at low temperatures ({approximately}1500 K) in a severe accident. The first liquids to form are metallic in nature, and they relocate to lower elevations in the core, where they may freeze into a crust that forms a partial flow blockage. At temperatures above {approximately}2200 K, fuel liquefaction causes fuelbearing debris to accumulate in the core above the metallic lower crust. The liquefied material oxidizes in steam as it relocates, and the accumulated melt can incorporate unmelted fuel rod debris.

• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 5667149
• Journal Information: Nuclear Technology; (United States), Vol. 95:3; ISSN 0029-5450
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
REACTOR CORES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
THREE MILE ISLAND-2 REACTOR
LOSS OF COOLANT
WATER COOLED REACTORS
BUBBLES
CRACKS
FLUID MECHANICS
FUEL-CLADDING INTERACTIONS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
POOL BOILING
REACTOR SAFETY EXPERIMENTS
ACCIDENTS
BOILING
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
MECHANICS
MICROSTRUCTURE
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
TESTING
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
210200 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled