A1-U fuel foaming/recriticality considerations for production reactor core-melt accidents (U)

Conference · Sun Sep 30 00:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:6345951

Cronenberg, A. W. ^[1]; Hyder, M. L. ^[2]; Ellison, P. G. ^[2]

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1. Engineering Science and Analysis, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)

Severe accident studies for the Savannah River production reactors indicate that if coherent fuel melting and relocation occur in the absence of target melting, in-vessel recriticality may be achieved. In this paper, fuel-melt/target interaction potential is assessed, where fission gas-induced fuel foaming and melt attach on target material are evaluated and compared with available data. Models are developed to characterize foams for irradiated Al-based fuel. Predictions indicate transient foaming (the extent of which is governed by fission gas inventory), heating transient, and bubble coalescence behavior. The model also indicates that metallic foams are basically unstable and will collapse, which largely depends on film tenacity and melt viscosity. For high-burnup fuel, foams lasting tens of seconds are predicted, allowing molten fuel to contact and cause melt ablation of concentric targets. For low-burnup fuel, contact can not be assured, thus recriticality may be of concern at reactor startup.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 6345951
• Report Number(s): WSRC-RP--89-1422; CONF-900917--27; ON: DE91004273
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220700 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990100 -- Management
ACCIDENTS
BUBBLES
COLLOIDS
CORIUM
CRITICALITY
DISPERSIONS
FILMS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FOAMS
FUEL ELEMENTS
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MELTDOWN
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PRODUCTION REACTORS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
Reactor Startup
SAFETY
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SWELLING
Severe Accident Studies
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS