Dispersion and thermal interactions of molten metal fuel settling on a horizontal steel plate through a sodium pool

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5618585

Gabor, J D; Purviance, R T; Aeschlimann, R W; Spencer, B W

Although the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) possesses inherent safety features, an assessment of the consequences of melting of the metal fuel is necessary for risk analysis. As part of this effort an experimental study was conducted to determine the depths of sodium at 600 C required for pour streams of various molten uranium alloys (U, U-5 wt % Zr, U-10 wt % Zr, and U-10 wt % Fe) to break up and solidify. The quenched particulate material, which was in the shape of filaments and sheets, formed coolable beds because of the high voidage ({approximately}0.9) and large particle size ({approximately}10 mm). In a test with a 0.15-m sodium depth, the fragments from a pure uranium pour stream did not completely solidify but formed an agglomerated mass which did not fuse to the base plate. However, the agglomerated fragments of U-10 wt % Fe eutectic fused to the stainless steel base plate. An analysis of the temperature response of a 25-mm thick base plate was made by volume averaging the properties of the sodium and metal particle phases and assuming two semi-infinite solids coming into contact. Good agreement was obtained with the data during the initial 5 to 10 s of the contact period. 16 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/NE
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5618585
• Report Number(s): CONF-890819-26; ON: DE89017679
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500 -- Power Reactors
Breeding
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
AGGLOMERATION
ALKALI METALS
ALLOY NUCLEAR FUELS
ALLOYS
DATA
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY TRANSFER
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
FUELS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRAULICS
IFR REACTOR
INFORMATION
INTERFACES
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
MECHANICS
MELTING
METALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLATES
POUR POINT
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
SAFETY
SODIUM
SOLID FUELS
STEELS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TEST FACILITIES
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
ZERO POWER REACTORS