Impingement heat flux by dispersed molten metal fuel on a horizontal stainless steel structure

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

OSTI ID:5678408

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 void-age ({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 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., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/NE
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5678408
• Report Number(s): CONF-890819-21; ON: DE89017687
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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