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Title: Evaluation of bursting capacity of containment vessels for hydrogen gas deflagrations and detonations

Conference ·
OSTI ID:755882

This paper describes a procedure to assess the bursting capacity of containment vessels used to transport radioactive materials. These vessels can be susceptible to an internal deflagration or detonation due to the ignition of hydrogen gas evolved by radiolysis. The maximum pressure capacity of a containment vessel can be established by determining the maximum primary vessel stresses at the maximum normal operating pressure and linearly extrapolating this pressure to stresses equal to the tensile yield or ultimate strength of the vessel's structural material. This leads to a maximum pressure to yield or burst the vessel. Comparison of data obtained with this procedure with experimental data or calculations that estimate the maximum deflagration or detonation pressure can provide a reasonable estimate of the capability of the containment vessel to safely contain the gases.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy (US)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
755882
Report Number(s):
ANL/ET/CP-101911; TRN: US0003636
Resource Relation:
Conference: 2000 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference, Seattle, WA (US), 07/23/2000--07/27/2000; Other Information: PBD: 17 May 2000
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English