Analysis of hydrogen igniter backfit in large, dry PWR containments

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:7055950

Musicki, Z; Yang, Jiwu ^[1]

---

1. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)

Recently, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission considered the issue of postaccident hydrogen burning in large, dry containments for pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Similar considerations in the past have led to requirements to install hydrogen igniters in smaller ice condenser (PWR) and Mark III boiling water reactor (BWR) containments. Hydrogen burning phenomena (both deflagration and detonation) were analyzed and cost-benefit analyses were performed for Zion and Surry containments based on representative igniter backfit costs, NUREG-1,150 analyses, and results of computer simulation of hydrogen distribution, temperature, pressure, and steam fraction in the postaccident containment atmosphere. Modifying containment spray operational procedures to maintain a certain steam fraction in the contaminant following an accident was shown to be relatively more cost-effective than installation of hydrogen igniters. Accident consequences were calculated using data from NUREG-1,150. Only internal initiators were considered, and only consequences to the 50-mile radius were calculated. The hydrogen igniter system considered was similar to those installed within PWR ice-condenser and BWR Mark III containments and some smaller PWR dry containments.

• OSTI ID: 7055950
• Report Number(s): CONF-920606--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 65
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200 -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220504 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects-- Design Basis & Hypothetical Accidents-- (1992-)
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
ANIMALS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
CONDENSERS
CONTAINMENT
CONTAINMENT SPRAY SYSTEMS
CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS
DOSES
ELEMENTS
EMERGENCY PLANS
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
HYDROGEN
ICE CONDENSERS
IGNITION
IGNITION SYSTEMS
MAMMALS
MAN
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONMETALS
OXIDATION
PERSONNEL
POWER REACTORS
PRIMATES
PUBLIC HEALTH
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RADIATION DOSES
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
REACTOR OPERATORS
REACTORS
RETROFITTING
STEAM CONDENSERS
SURRY-1 REACTOR
SURRY-2 REACTOR
THERMAL REACTORS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
US NRC
US ORGANIZATIONS
VAPOR CONDENSERS
VERTEBRATES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZION-1 REACTOR
ZION-2 REACTOR