Consequences of axial midplane failures during hypothetical transient overpower accidents. [LMFBR]

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

OSTI ID:6733678

Padilla, A Jr; O'Dell, L D; Yung, S C; Wilburn, N P; Culley, G E; Waltar, A E

It is generally accepted that coherent fuel pin failures at the axial midplane during hypothetical transient overpower accidents can cause a superprompt-critical excursion leading to an energetic core disassembly. Two approaches can be taken to resolve the concern of axial midplane failures. The first approach is to determine the distribution of fuel pin failure locations throughout the core and hopefully demonstrate that large numbers of midplane failures would be highly unlikely under actual LMFBR accident conditions. However, further analytical model development and experimental support may be necessary before this type of prediction can be made with confidence. The second approach is to demonstrate that even if all the fuel pin failures occurred at the axial midplane, there are physical mechanisms and phenomena which will mitigate the consequences. This latter approach was taken in this paper to demonstrate that inter- and intra-assembly incoherence effects are likely sufficient to prevent an energetic accident consequence.

• Research Organization: Hanford Engineering Development Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76FF02170
• OSTI ID: 6733678
• Report Number(s): HEDL-SA-2613; CONF-820704-32; ON: DE83000484
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
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220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
BREEDER REACTORS
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FLUID MECHANICS
FUEL ELEMENT FAILURE
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PINS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRAULICS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MECHANICS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SAFETY
STRESSES
THERMAL STRESSES
TRANSIENT OVERPOWER ACCIDENTS