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Title: Development of Molten Corium Using An Exothermic Chemical Reaction for the Molten- Fuel Moderator-Interaction Studies at Chalk River Laboratories

Abstract

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has partnered with Argonne National Laboratory to develop a corium thermite prototypical of Candu material and test the concept of ejecting {approx}25 kg of the molten material from a pressure tube with a driving pressure of 10 MPa. This development program has been completed and the technology transferred to AECL. Preparation for the molten-fuel moderator-interaction tests at AECL's Chalk River Laboratories is well underway. A mixture of 0.582 U/0.077 U{sub 3}O{sub 8}/0.151 Zr/0.19 CrO{sub 3} (wt%) as reactant chemicals has been demonstrated to produce a corium consisting of 0.73 UO{sub 2}/0.11 Zr/0.06 ZrO{sub 2}/0.10 Cr (wt%) at {approx}2400 deg. C. This is comparable to the target Candu specific corium of 0.9 UO{sub 2}/0.1 Zr (wt%), with limited oxidation. The peak melt temperature was confirmed from small-scale thermitic reaction tests. Several small-scale tests were completed to qualify the thermite to ensure operational safety and a quantifiable experimental outcome. The proposed molten-fuel moderator-interaction experiments at Chalk River Laboratories will consist of heating the thermite mixture inside a 1.14-m long insulated pressure tube. Once the molten material has reached the desired temperature of {approx}2400 deg. C, the pressure inside the tube will be raised to about 10more » MPa, and the pressure tube will fail at a pre-machined flaw, ejecting the molten material into the surrounding tank of water. The test apparatus, instrumentation, data acquisition and control systems have been assembled, and a series of successful commissioning tests have been completed. (authors)« less

Authors:
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Chalk River Laboratories, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Chalk River, Ontario, K0J 1J0 (Canada)
  2. Argonne National Laboratory, 9700, S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
21160769
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: ICAPP'04: 2004 international congress on advances in nuclear power plants, Pittsburgh, PA (United States), 13-17 Jun 2004; Other Information: Country of input: France; 6 refs; Related Information: In: Proceedings of the 2004 international congress on advances in nuclear power plants - ICAPP'04, 2338 pages.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; ANL; ATOMIC ENERGY OF CANADA LTD; CHALK RIVER; CHROMATES; CHROMIUM OXIDES; COMMISSIONING; CONTROL SYSTEMS; CORIUM; DATA ACQUISITION; MIXTURES; MODERATORS; NUCLEAR ENERGY; NUCLEAR FUELS; OXIDATION; PRESSURE TUBES; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

Citation Formats

Nitheanandan, T, Sanderson, D B, Kyle, G, and Farmer, M. Development of Molten Corium Using An Exothermic Chemical Reaction for the Molten- Fuel Moderator-Interaction Studies at Chalk River Laboratories. United States: N. p., 2004. Web.
Nitheanandan, T, Sanderson, D B, Kyle, G, & Farmer, M. Development of Molten Corium Using An Exothermic Chemical Reaction for the Molten- Fuel Moderator-Interaction Studies at Chalk River Laboratories. United States.
Nitheanandan, T, Sanderson, D B, Kyle, G, and Farmer, M. 2004. "Development of Molten Corium Using An Exothermic Chemical Reaction for the Molten- Fuel Moderator-Interaction Studies at Chalk River Laboratories". United States.
@article{osti_21160769,
title = {Development of Molten Corium Using An Exothermic Chemical Reaction for the Molten- Fuel Moderator-Interaction Studies at Chalk River Laboratories},
author = {Nitheanandan, T and Sanderson, D B and Kyle, G and Farmer, M},
abstractNote = {Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has partnered with Argonne National Laboratory to develop a corium thermite prototypical of Candu material and test the concept of ejecting {approx}25 kg of the molten material from a pressure tube with a driving pressure of 10 MPa. This development program has been completed and the technology transferred to AECL. Preparation for the molten-fuel moderator-interaction tests at AECL's Chalk River Laboratories is well underway. A mixture of 0.582 U/0.077 U{sub 3}O{sub 8}/0.151 Zr/0.19 CrO{sub 3} (wt%) as reactant chemicals has been demonstrated to produce a corium consisting of 0.73 UO{sub 2}/0.11 Zr/0.06 ZrO{sub 2}/0.10 Cr (wt%) at {approx}2400 deg. C. This is comparable to the target Candu specific corium of 0.9 UO{sub 2}/0.1 Zr (wt%), with limited oxidation. The peak melt temperature was confirmed from small-scale thermitic reaction tests. Several small-scale tests were completed to qualify the thermite to ensure operational safety and a quantifiable experimental outcome. The proposed molten-fuel moderator-interaction experiments at Chalk River Laboratories will consist of heating the thermite mixture inside a 1.14-m long insulated pressure tube. Once the molten material has reached the desired temperature of {approx}2400 deg. C, the pressure inside the tube will be raised to about 10 MPa, and the pressure tube will fail at a pre-machined flaw, ejecting the molten material into the surrounding tank of water. The test apparatus, instrumentation, data acquisition and control systems have been assembled, and a series of successful commissioning tests have been completed. (authors)},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21160769}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2004},
month = {Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2004}
}

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