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Coolant boiling in the beginning-of-life core during overpower excursions. [LMFBR]

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7361896
A hypothetical unprotected transient overpower accident (TOP) in the fresh and near fresh LMFBR core may involve coolant boiling prior to cladding failure for relatively slow transients. Coolant boiling on the cladding surface is a possible failure mechanism postulated for overpower transients. An assessment is made of the implications of bulk boiling if boiling initiation precedes failure, when the pumps are fully operational. The beginning-of-life core is defined, the salient features of the analytical model are summarized, and a means to represent the core hydrodynamics with a manageable system of equations is presented. The specific characterization of the boiling phenomenon within the context of the current version of MELT is discussed, and the initial aspects of the fuel-coolant interaction process in a previously voided region are considered.
Research Organization:
Hanford Engineering Development Lab., Richland, Wash. (USA)
OSTI ID:
7361896
Report Number(s):
HEDL-SA-993; CONF-751101-90
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English