Application of a two-call adiabatic model for direct containment heating to the ABB C-E system 80+ ALWR
- ABB Combustion Engineering Nuclear Power Inc., Windsor, CT (United States)
- Gabor, Kenton Associates Inc., Germantown, MD (United States)
During certain severe reactor accidents, such as those initiated by a station blackout or small-break loss of coolant accident (LOCA) degradation of the reactor core can take place while the reactor coolant system remains pressurized. If unmitigated, core materials will melt and relocate to the lower regions of the reactor pressure vessel and ultimately melt through the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) lower head. Once the RPV is breached, core debris will be ejected from the RPV and entrained from the reactor cavity by the high velocity gases blowing down from the reactor vessel. During the entrainment process, metallic constituents of the ejected material, principally zirconium and steel, exothermically react with oxygen and steam to generate chemical energy and (in the case of reactions with steam) hydrogen. Concomitant with the high pressure melt ejection (HPME) process, there is the potential for hydrogen combustion and vaporization of available water. The sensible heat loss to the containment atmosphere and the associated processes are typically referred to as direct containment heating (DCH). If large quantities of energy from the corium and corium-steam reactions are transferred directly to the containment atmosphere, the containment may pressurize to a point where failure is possible. Since the containment threat is coincident with vessel breach, relatively high containment radiation releases would be expected from this type of containment failure.
- OSTI ID:
- 7129105
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-931160--
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Vol. 69; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Direct containment heating experiments in Zion Nuclear Power Plant geometry using prototype core materials
Reactor coolant system depressurization in PWRs with U-tube steam generators
Related Subjects
210200 -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
ADIABATIC PROCESSES
CE STANDARD REACTOR
CONTAINMENT
CORIUM
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
HEAT GAIN
HIGH PRESSURE
LOSS OF COOLANT
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTORS
SAFETY ANALYSIS
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS