The influence of core degradation phenomena on in-vessel fission product behavior during severe accidents

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6564939

Hobbins, R R; Osetek, D J; Petti, D A; Hagrman, D L

In-vessel core degradation phenomena influence where fission products will be located and in what chemical forms they will exist and with what materials they will be associated at the time the lower vessel fails in an unmitigated accident sequence. Fission products released from the reactor vessel during the in-vessel phase of core melt progression in a severe reactor accident can be deposited on reactor coolant system surfaces and be relatively unavailable for release to the containment, subject, however, to later revaporization. Fission products remaining in the fuel or sequestered in core debris can be available for release to the containment during ex-vessel processes such as high pressure melt ejection of core melt into the containment or during molten core-concrete interaction. This paper addresses the influence of several key in-vessel phenomena on fission product behavior and the availability of fission products for release to containment. Applicable results from the Severe Fuel Damage Test Series conducted in the Power Burst Facility and from the examination of the damaged core of the TMI-2 reactor have been discussed. 21 refs. , 2 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 6564939
• Report Number(s): EGG-M-88071; CONF-881014-19; ON: DE89005433
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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