Effects on consequences of the high steam content in LWR accident releases: physics and preliminary results

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6834312

Spulak, Jr, R G; Boughton, B A; Williams, D C; Cummings, J C; Alpert, D J; Richards, C N; Dunn, W E

Our research has addressed the possibility that condensation of steam during the release of containment gases and aerosol particles to the atmosphere after a core-melt accident could deposit a significant fraction of the radioactive material near the plant. This paper describes the modeling of accident releases including this rainout and discusses the impact of our findings on risk predictions. Our models include details of the hydrodynamics of the flow from containment, thermodynamics of the release mixture, explicit consideration of condensation on the radioactive aerosols, turbulent agglomeration of aerosols and water droplets, buoyant plume physics, and the dispersion and deposition of drops. We discuss the initial and boundary conditions which lead to significant rainout.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA); Atmospheric Physics, Inc., Peralta, NM (USA); Illinois Univ., Urbana (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6834312
• Report Number(s): SAND-83-2654C; CONF-840701-12; ON: DE84013060
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
AEROSOLS
COLLOIDS
CONTAINMENT
DEPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
DROPLETS
FALLOUT
MELTDOWN
PARTICLES
PRECIPITATION SCAVENGING
RADIOACTIVE AEROSOLS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTORS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLS
STEAM
VAPOR CONDENSATION
WASHOUT
WATER COOLED REACTORS