The study of steam explosions in nuclear systems. Advanced Reactor Severe Accident Program
- California Univ., Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Center for Risk Studies and Safety
This report presents an overview of the steam explosion issue in nuclear reactor safety and our approach to assessing it. Key physics, models, and computational tools are described, and illustrative results are presented for ex-vessel steam explosions in an open pool geometry. An extensive set of appendices facilitate access to previously reported work that is an integral part of this effort. These appendices include key developments in our approach, key advances in our understanding from physical and numerical experiments, and details of the most advanced computational results presented in this report. Of major significance are the following features: A consistent two-dimensional treatment for both premixing and propagation which in practical settings are ostensibly at least two-dimensional phenomena; experimental demonstration of voiding and microinteractions which represent key behaviors in premixing and propagation respectively; demonstration of the explosion venting phenomena in open pool geometries which, therefore, can be counted on as a very important mitigative feature; and introduction of the idea of penetration cutoff as a key mechanism prohibiting large-scale premixing in usual ex-vessel situations involving high pour velocities and subcooled pools. This report is intended as an overview and is to be followed by code manuals for PM-ALPHA and ESPROSE.m, respective verification reports, and application documents for reactor-specific applications. The applications will employ the Risk Oriented Accident Analysis Methodology (ROAAM) to address the safety importance of potential steam explosions phenomena in evaluated severe accidents for passive Advanced Light Water Reactors (ALWRs).
- Research Organization:
- USDOE Idaho Operations Office, Idaho Falls, ID (United States); California Univ., Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Center for Risk Studies and Safety
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 67789
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ID-10489; ON: DE95010681; NC: NONE; TRN: 95:015212
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jan 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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