An assessment of Clinch River Breeder Reactor core disruptive accident energetics

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6971834

Theofanous, T G; Bell, C R

A methodology is developed for the evaluation of the energetic consequences of postulated core disruptive accidents (CDAs), in liquid-metal fast breeder reactors. The methodology provides a framework for integrating the results of mechanistic analyses, including whole-core simulations (SAS, SIMMER), special effects analytical evaluations, and simulant material experiments into a probabilistic appreciation of accident evolution paths and respective likelihoods. Detailed quantitative results are presented for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor heterogeneous core design. As a result of this work, new perspectives were generated in the following areas: role of plenum fission gases, presence and role of small recriticalities in the early stages of core disruption, large annular and cylindrical pool recriticalities and associated disassembly yields, energy partition, and the role of structural response of vessel internal structures. The results indicate that a CDA-induced energetic vessel head failure is physically unreasonable.

• Research Organization: Purdue Univ., School of Nuclear Engineering, West Lafayette, IN 47907
• OSTI ID: 6971834
• Journal Information: Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States) Vol. 93:3; ISSN NSENA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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ACCIDENTS
BREEDER REACTORS
CLINCH RIVER BREEDER REACTOR
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CRITICALITY
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAILURES
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FISSION PRODUCTS
HETEROGENEOUS REACTOR CORES
ISOTOPES
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MATERIALS
POWER REACTORS
PROBABILITY
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
REACTOR CORES
REACTORS
RISK ASSESSMENT
S CODES
SIMULATION
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS