Correlation for downward melt penetration into a miscible low-density substrate

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

OSTI ID:6947672

Fang, L J; Cheung, F B; Pedersen, D R; Linehan, J H

Downward penetration of a sacrificial bed material or a concrete basemat structure by an overlying layer of core melt resulting from a hypothetical core disruptive accident has been a major issue in post accident heat removal studies. One characteristic feature of this problem is that the solid substrate, when molten, is miscible with and lighter than the core melt so that the rate of penetration is strongly dependent upon the motion of natural convection in the melt layer driven by the density difference between the core melt and the molten substrate. This fundamentally interesting and technologically important problem has been investigated by a number of researchers. Significantly different melting rates, however, were observed in these studies. Questions concerning the occurrence of flow transition and its effect on melt penetration remain to be answered. To promote the understanding of the phenomena and to strengthen the data base of melt penetration, simulation experiments were conducted using various kinds of salt solutions (KI, NaCl, CaCl/sub 2/, and MgCl/sub 2/ solutions) as the working fluid and an air-bubble-free ice slab as the solid substrate.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6947672
• Report Number(s): CONF-840614-5; ON: DE84005209
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
AFTER-HEAT
CORE CATCHERS
CORIUM
DENSITY
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRAULICS
MECHANICS
MELTDOWN
MELTING
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SAFETY