Creep rupture behavior of a PWR lower head in a core-melt accident
- Seoul National Univ. (Korea, Republic of)
Although the Three Mile Island unit 2 (TMI-2) vessel did not fail, code analyses in support of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/Nuclear Energy Agency TMI-2 Vessel Investigation Project generally predicted creep rupture for these conditions. This fueled speculation that there might be some inherent mechanism not previously recognized that could delay or prevent lower head failure. The most widely held belief is that the relocated melt did not adhere to the lower head; consequently, there should be gaps between the inside surface of the vessel and the relocated melt. These gaps, perhaps widened by temperature-induced creep of the lower head, provide a channel for water intrusion and subsequent quenching of the head, preventing its creep rupture. Therefore, from both accident assessment and accident mitigation considerations, there is a need to understand the mechanism of lower head creep and rupture.
- OSTI ID:
- 552519
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-971125-; ISSN 0003-018X; TRN: 98:001728
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 77; Conference: 1997 American Nuclear Society (ANS) winter meeting, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 16-20 Nov 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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