Experimental results of tests to investigate the effects of hole diameter resulting from bottom head failure on Direct Containment Heating (DCH) in the Surtsey Test Facility

Technical Report · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:5642961

Allen, M D; Pilch, M; Griffith, R O ^[1]; Nichols, R T ^[2]

---

1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. Ktech Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

The WC-1 and WC-3 experiments were conducted using a dry, 1:10 linear scale model of the Zion reactor cavity to obtain baseline data for comparison to future experiments that will have water in the cavity. WC-1 and WC-3 were performed with similar initial conditions except for the exit hole between the melt generator and the scaled model of the reactor cavity. For both experiments the molten core debris was simulated by a thermitically generated melt formed from 50 kg of iron oxide/aluminum/chromium powders. After the thermite was ignited in WC-1, the melt was forcibly ejected by 374 moles of slightly superheated steam at an initial driving pressure of 4.6 MPa through an exit hole with an actual diameter of 4.14 cm into the scaled model of the reactor cavity. In WC-3, the molten thermite was ejected by 300 moles of slightly superheated steam at an initial driving pressure of 3.8 MPa through an exit hole with an actual diameter of 10.1 cm into the scaled model of the reactor cavity. Because of the larger exit hole diameter, WC-3 had a shorter blowdown time than WC-1, 0.8's compared to 3.0's. WC-3 also had a higher debris velocity than WC-1, 54 m/s compared to 17.5 m/s. Posttest sieve analysis of debris recovered from the Surtsey vessel gave identical results in WC-1 and WC-3 for the sieve mass median particle diameter, i.e. 1.45 mm. The total mass ejected into the Surtsey vessel in WC-3 was 45.0 kg compared to 47.9 kg in WC-1. The peak pressure increase in Surtsey due to the high-pressure melt ejection (HPME) was 0.275 MPa in WC-3 and 0.272 in WC-1. Steam/metal reactions produced 181 moles of of hydrogen in WC-3 and 145 moles of hydrogen in WC-1.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5642961
• Report Number(s): SAND-91-2153; ON: DE92011519
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200 -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
CONTAINMENT
CORIUM
DATA
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FAILURES
FLUID MECHANICS
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
HYDRAULICS
INFORMATION
MECHANICS
MELTDOWN
NUMERICAL DATA
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR INTERNALS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SAFETY
SCALE MODELS
SIMULATION
STRUCTURAL MODELS
TEST FACILITIES
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZION-1 REACTOR
ZION-2 REACTOR