Thermal explosions resulting from fuel-coolant interactions

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Metall. Trans., B; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02659147· OSTI ID:5830975

Bartusiak, R D; Caram, H S

High-speed photographic data and pressure traces of thermal explosions from the contact of single drops of ion oxide with water were analyzed according to models describing underwater chemical explosion and cavitation bubbles. The objective was to develop a simple method for analyzing the microscale hydrodynamics of fuel-coolant interactions (FCI). For a given external pressure and liquid density essentially all the features of the radial motion of the explosion bubble, including the total energy release, are uniquely determined by a single parameter - the bubble period. Nearly all of the heat transfer from fuel to coolant occurs during the 10/sup -5/ to 10/sup -4/ sec timespan of coolant vapor film collapse during which the fuel fragments. The features of the resulting explosion bubble are not significantly affected by the degree of heat transfer from vapor to coolant liquid and the bubble can be modeled as an empty cavity. The method developed during this study should facilitate investigations on FCI by simplifying the analyses of thermal explosion data. Further attention can be given to experiments on the effects of fuel parameters, e.g., surface tension and viscosity, on fragmentation, heat transfer, and explosive yield.

• Research Organization: Exxon Chemical Co., Florham Park, NJ (USA); Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
• OSTI ID: 5830975
• Journal Information: Metall. Trans., B; (United States), Vol. 19B:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
42 ENGINEERING
FUEL-COOLANT INTERACTIONS
HYDRODYNAMICS
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
BUBBLES
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVES
DATA ANALYSIS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FRAGMENTATION
HEAT TRANSFER
IRON OXIDES
LOSS OF COOLANT
PHOTOGRAPHY
SAFETY
THERMONUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
UNDERWATER EXPLOSIONS
VISCOSITY
WATER
ACCIDENTS
CHALCOGENIDES
DATA
ENERGY TRANSFER
EXPLOSIONS
EXPLOSIVES
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
IRON COMPOUNDS
MECHANICS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
220300 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Fuel Elements
420400 - Engineering- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow