MEASUREMENT OF AIR BLAST EFFECTS FROM SIMULATED NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE EXCURSIONS

Technical Report · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1957

OSTI ID:4325287

Larson, R J; Olson, W C

Tests were conducted to evaluate methods of simulating on a small scale, the effect of nuclear reactor runaway'' on a containment shell surrounding the reactor. Reactor core vessels, simulated by small pressure tanks, were burst by chemical reactions of various rates, and the resulting pressure-time histories were recorded by piezoelectric air blast gages placed at various distances from the core. Results of 150 observations are tabulated and presented graphically. The test results were compared with existing blast data for chemical explosives and also with Brode's theoretical analysis of spherical blast waves. The use of an explosive, which provided the fastest reactive rate, proved to be the most practical means of simulating reactor core runaway. (auth)

• Research Organization: Ballistic Research Labs., Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
• NSA Number: NSA-12-008088
• OSTI ID: 4325287
• Report Number(s): WASH-747; BRL-Memo-1102
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR-- CHEMICAL REACTIONS-- CHEMICALS-- COMPLEXES-- EXCURSIONS-- EXPLOSIONS-- EXPLOSIVES-- FLUORIDES-- GAGES-- IONS-- MEASURED VALUES- - MOCKUP-- ORGANIC COMPOUNDS-- OXALATES-- PHOSPHATES-- PIEZOELECTRICITY-- PRESSURE VESSELS-- REACTOR CORE-- REACTORS-- RECORDING SYSTEMS-- RECOVERY-- SOLUTIONS-- SOLVENT EXTRACTION-- SOLVENTS-- SULFATES-- TESTING-- URANIUM-- URANIUM DIOXIDE-- VESSELS-- WATER
CHEMICAL REACTIONS-- COMPLEXES-- EXCURSIONS-- EXPLOSIONS-- FLUORIDES-- IONS-- MATHEMATICS-- MEASURED VALUES-- MOCKUP-- ORGANIC COMPOUNDS-- OXALATES-- PHOSPHATES-- PRESSURE VESSELS-- REACTOR CORE-- REACTORS-- RECOVERY-- SHOCK WAVES-- SOLUTIONS-- SOLVENT EXT
PHYSICS