SAS4A analysis of unprotected loss-of-flow accidents in a metal-fuel reactor

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:6659802

Tentner, A M ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)

The SAS4A code system is used to analyze the core behavior under beyond-design base transient conditions for various advance liquid-metal reactor (ALMR) designs. The results of these analyses provide help in assessing the outcomes of various accident sequences and provide guidance for future experimental needs and mathematical model development. This paper describes the thermal-hydraulic and neutronic events that occur in a low void worth metal fuel core[sup 2] during a very rapid unprotected loss-of-flow (LOF) accident, with a flow decay half time t[sub [1/2]] = 0.3 s. This LOF was selected because it leads to fuel pin failure and subsequent fuel relocation. The only mechanistic initiator that can lead to such a rapid LOF is, possibly, a severe earthquake. For slower LOFs, pin failure and fuel relocation do not occur, as negative reactivity from other core feedback effects has enough time to counteract the positive reactivity introduced by the early sodium boiling.

• OSTI ID: 6659802
• Report Number(s): CONF-921102--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 66
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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