METAL-WATER REACTIONS. I. A METHOD FOR ANALYZING A NUCLEAR EXCURSION IN A WATER COOLED AND MODERATED REACTOR
An approximate method for analyzing the effects of a nuclear excursion in a water cooled and moderated reactor was developed. This analysis is based on idealized models of the reactor which represent the salient features of the system under investigation; and consists of simultaneously solving ten equations. The primary nuclear shutdown mechanism is the void generated in the liquid moderator due to vaporization and radiolytic gas formation. To evaluate this method of analysis it is applied to the Borax I and Spert I reactors. A comparison of the analytical and experimental results indicates reasonable agreement between calculated and experimental data, but suggests that refinements in the method and input parameters are required. This formulation was prepared as the first step in analyzing the effects of a serious nuclear incident in a water cooled and moderated reactor. The coatinuing program will consist of improving this model and applying the resulting techniques to particular reactor designs to determine the total weight, temperature, and dispersion of molten metal in the core as a function of time. These results will permit evaluation of the extent of a metal water reaction initiated by a nuclear incident. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- General Electric Co. Atomic Power Equipment Dept., San Jose, Calif.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-002550
- OSTI ID:
- 4293559
- Report Number(s):
- GEAP-3073
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ANALOG SYSTEMS
BORAX-1
BUBBLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COOLANT LOOPS
DECOMPOSITION
EQUATIONS
ERRORS
EVAPORATION
EXCURSIONS
EXPLOSIONS
FAILURES
FLUID FLOW
FUEL ELEMENTS
HEAT TRANSFER
HIGH TEMPERATURE
LIQUID FLOW
MASS
MEASURED VALUES
MELTING
METALS
MODERATORS
NEUTRON FLUX
NUMERICALS
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIOLYSIS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTORS
SHUTDOWN
SPERT-1
TEMPERATURE
THERMODYNAMICS
URANIUM
WATER
WATER COOLANT
WATER MODERATOR
WEIGHT