Spreading of molten corium in MK I geometry following vessel melt-through
For Mk I boiling water reactor severe-accident sequences in which molten corium is postulated to melt through the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) lower head, an important question concerns the relocation of the corium material that drains from the vessel. After filling the sump pits located in the pedestal concrete floor beneath the RPV, the molten corium that collects on the pedestal floor is generally free to flow through the doorway, which provides personnel access to the pedestal, and to spread out over the concrete floor in the annular region between the pedestal wall and the steel liner of the containment shell. A significant issue is whether the corium, after exiting the doorway, can spread under gravity all the way to the liner where thermal attack on the liner steel might be postulated to occur. A computer code (MELTSPREAD) has been developed to investigate the spreading dynamics and thermal interactions of a molten corium layer flowing horizontally over an ablating concrete substrate that may be initially covered with water. The principal objective is to predict, for specific conditions of corium composition, mass, and temperature, the lateral penetration of the corium that drains from a localized hole in the lower head immediately following RPV failure.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5767590
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-881011-
- Journal Information:
- Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States), Vol. 57; Conference: Joint meeting of the European Nuclear Society and the American Nuclear Society, Washington, DC, USA, 30 Oct - 4 Nov 1988
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
M CODES
CONCRETES
CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS
CORIUM
FILM BOILING
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRAULICS
LINERS
MELTDOWN
MITIGATION
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
OXIDATION
PRESSURE VESSELS
SUPERHEATING
ACCIDENTS
BOILING
BUILDING MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPUTER CODES
CONTAINERS
CONTAINMENT
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
FLUID MECHANICS
HEATING
ITERATIVE METHODS
MATERIALS
MECHANICS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTORS
SAFETY
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
210100 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled