LMFBR source term experiments in the Fuel Aerosol Simulant Test (FAST) facility

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5573897

Petrykowski, J C; Longest, A W

The transport of uranium dioxide (UO/sub 2/) aerosol through liquid sodium was studied in a series of ten experiments in the Fuel Aerosol Simulant Test (FAST) facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The experiments were designed to provide a mechanistic basis for evaluating the radiological source term associated with a postulated, energetic core disruptive accident (CDA) in a liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR). Aerosol was generated by capacitor discharge vaporization of UO/sub 2/ pellets which were submerged in a sodium pool under an argon cover gas. Measurements of the pool and cover gas pressures were used to study the transport of aerosol contained by vapor bubbles within the pool. Samples of cover gas were filtered to determine the quantity of aerosol released from the pool. The depth at which the aerosol was generated was found to be the most critical parameter affecting release. The largest release was observed in the baseline experiment where the sample was vaporized above the sodium pool. In the nine ''undersodium'' experiments aerosol was generated beneath the surface of the pool at depths varying from 30 to 1060 mm. The mass of aerosol released from the pool was found to be a very small fraction of the original specimen. It appears that the bulk of aerosol was contained by bubbles which collapsed within the pool. 18 refs., 11 figs., 4 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5573897
• Report Number(s): CONF-850410-38; ON: TI85011428
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
AEROSOLS
ALKALI METALS
BREEDER REACTORS
BUBBLES
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EVAPORATION
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FORECASTING
FUEL-COOLANT INTERACTIONS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RADIOACTIVE AEROSOLS
RADIOACTIVITY TRANSPORT
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SAFETY
SODIUM
SOLS
TEST FACILITIES
TRANSIENT OVERPOWER ACCIDENTS
TRANSIENTS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM OXIDES