CORE-TEMPERATURE EXCURSIONS FOLLOWING A PIPING FAILURE IN THE PLUTONIUM RECYCLE TEST REACTOR
An evaluation of the temperature excursion and its possible consequences arising from loss of coolant from the Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor (PRTR) was made for four different postulated ruptures in the primary heavy water coolant system. As a basis for the evaluation, a series of computations was made. These were based on incremental heat and mass balances for sections of Zircaloy-clad UO/ sub 2/and Pu- Al fuel elements. Solutions to each problem defined by the postulated break size and its location were defined by finitedifference approximatioms performed by an IBM 653 machine digital computer. The four postulated ruptures were: (1) a complete parting of the 14-in.-diameter outlet pipe near the upper ring header so that coolant would be lost from both broken ends; (2) a rapture equivalent to a 14-in.-diameter hole in the primaryloop piping adjacent to the upper ring header; (1) a complete parting of a 1 3/4-in. upper jumper; and (4) a complete parting of a 1 3/4-in. bottom jumper. The Pu-Al elements represent the most critical component; melting of these elements would begin about 219 seconds after the rapture occurred if emergency backup light water coolant were not available to the system. It was found that the injection of 750 gallons per minute (gpm) of emergency coolant (375 gpm to each ring header) would be adequate to prevent melting or failure of any reactor component for all cases studied even if injection did not begin until 2 or 3 min alter the rupture occurred. An earlier injection time would, of course, be beneficial. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, OH (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-92
- NSA Number:
- NSA-14-001131
- OSTI ID:
- 4213081
- Report Number(s):
- BMI-1356
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-60
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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