Modeling of small-scale single droplet fuel/coolant interactions

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Nuclear Science and Engineering; (USA)

OSTI ID:5654978

Kim, B ^[1]; Corradini, M L ^[2]

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1. Hong-ik Univ., Seoul (Republic of Korea)
2. Wisconsin Univ., Madison, WI (USA). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering

In this paper a model for small-scale single droplet fuel/coolant interactions (FCIs) is proposed, which considers the growth of a coolant vapor/liquid interfacial disturbance into a coolant liquid jet during the collapse of the vapor film surrounding the fuel. This results in the encapsulation of the jet as coolant drops beneath the fuel surface and leads to fragmentation of the fuel. In this model, the FCI process is divided into four stages: film boiling around a molten fuel droplet in an infinite coolant pool, film collapse and coolant jet formation, coolant jet penetration and entrapment in the fuel, and rapid evaporation of entrained coolant and fragmentation of the fuel. The process repeats itself cyclically from the second stage. For the single-droplet experiments performed previously, the model predicts the qualitative trends of steam bubble growth and collapse, the final size of fuel fragments, and time scale for the fuel fragmentation.

• OSTI ID: 5654978
• Journal Information: Nuclear Science and Engineering; (USA), Journal Name: Nuclear Science and Engineering; (USA) Vol. 98:1; ISSN 0029-5639; ISSN NSENA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ACCIDENTS
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FLUIDS
FRAGMENTATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL RODS
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