Analysis of Steam Explosions in Plate-Type, Uranium-Aluminum Fuel Test Reactors

Conference · Sun Nov 26 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:6386992

The concern over steam explosions in nuclear reactors can be traced to prompt critical nuclear excursions in aluminum-clad/fueled test reactors, as well as to explosive events in aluminum, pulp, and paper industries. The Reactor Safety Study prompted an extensive analytical and experimental effort for over a decade. This has led to significant improvements in their understanding of the steam explosion issue for commercial light water reactors. However, little progress has been made toward applying the lessons learned from this effort to the understanding and modeling of steam explosion phenomena in aluminum-clad/fueled research and test reactors. The purposes of this paper are to (a) provide a preliminary analysis of the destructive events in test reactors, based on current understandings of steam explosions; (b) provide a proposed approach for determining the likelihood of a steam explosion event under scenarios in which molten U-Al fuel drops into a water-filled cavity; and (c) present a benchmarking study conducted to estimate peak pressure pulse magnitudes.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 6386992
• Report Number(s): CONF-891103-; CODEN: TANSA; TRN: 90-035283
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 60; Conference: Winter meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and Nuclear Power and Technology Exhibit , San Francisco, CA (United States), 26-30 Nov 1989; ISSN 0003-018X
• Publisher: American Nuclear Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR SAFETY
MOLTEN METAL-WATER REACTIONS
EXPLOSIONS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
ALUMINIUM
BENCHMARKS
BORAX-1 REACTOR
BORAX-2 REACTOR
BORAX-3 REACTOR
BORAX-4 REACTOR
BORAX-5 REACTOR
CRITICALITY
EXCURSIONS
FUEL PLATES
HYDROGEN
PRESSURIZING
REACTOR SAFETY EXPERIMENTS
SL-1 REACTOR
SPERT-1 REACTOR
SPERT-2 REACTOR
SPERT-3 REACTOR
SPERT-4 REACTOR
STEAM
URANIUM
VOID FRACTION
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDES
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HEAVY WATER COOLED REACTORS
HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTORS
METALS
NONMETALS
POOL TYPE REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
PROCESS HEAT REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SAFETY
TANK TYPE REACTORS
TEST REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
THORIUM REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Steam Explosions
Nuclear Reactors
Critical Nuclear Excursions
Aluminum-Clad/Fueled Test Reactors
Reactor Safety Study
Analysis
Approach
Benchmarking Study
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
220700 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors
210100 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
210200 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled