Assessment of LWR fuel foaming potential during core meltdown accidents

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6652721

Cronenberg, A W; Croucher, D W; MacDonald, P E

Fuel melting in severe core damage accidents will lead to the rapid release of fission gas from the fuel matrix and the volatilization of low boiling point metallic inclusions, which can be expected to significantly influence molten fuel dynamics. A quantitative analysis of UO/sub 2/ foaming potential is presented here based upon an assessment of the time characteristics for bubble growth, surface escape, film thinning, and bubble coalescence. Analysis indicates that although the potential exists for early molten UO/sub 2/ foaming, such foams are basically unstable and tend to collapse, thereby releasing volatilized fission products from the molten fuel debris. Release of such fission products will impact radiological source term evaluation and can result in up to a 40-percent reduction in the residual decay heat within the core bebris.

• Research Organization: Hoffman Electronics Corp., Santa Barbara, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 6652721
• Report Number(s): EGG-M-04182; CONF-820802-42; ON: DE83000548
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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