Key findings and remaining questions in the areas of core-concrete interaction and debris coolability
Abstract
The reactor accidents at Fukushima-Dai-ichi have rekindled interest in late phase severe accident behavior involving reactor pressure vessel breach and discharge of molten core melt into the containment. Two technical issues of interest in this area include core-concrete interaction and the extent to which the core debris may be quenched and rendered coolable by top flooding. The OECD-sponsored Melt Coolability and Concrete Interaction (MCCI) programs at Argonne National Laboratory included the conduct of large scale reactor material experiments and associated analysis with the objectives of resolving the ex-vessel debris coolability issue, and to address remaining uncertainties related to long-term two-dimensional molten core-concrete interactions under both wet and dry cavity conditions. These tests provided a broad database to support accident management planning, as well as the development and validation of models and codes that can be used to extrapolate the experiment results to plant conditions. This paper provides a high level overview of the key experiment results obtained during the program. Finally, a discussion is also provided that describes technical gaps that remain in this area, several of which have arisen based on the sequence of events and operator actions during Fukushima.
- Authors:
-
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Rockville, MD (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1350637
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nuclear Technology
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 196; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5450
- Publisher:
- American Nuclear Society (ANS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; core-concrete interaction; debris coolability
Citation Formats
Farmer, M. T., Gerardi, C., Bremer, N., and Basu, S. Key findings and remaining questions in the areas of core-concrete interaction and debris coolability. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.13182/NT16-43.
Farmer, M. T., Gerardi, C., Bremer, N., & Basu, S. Key findings and remaining questions in the areas of core-concrete interaction and debris coolability. United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/NT16-43
Farmer, M. T., Gerardi, C., Bremer, N., and Basu, S. Mon .
"Key findings and remaining questions in the areas of core-concrete interaction and debris coolability". United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/NT16-43. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1350637.
@article{osti_1350637,
title = {Key findings and remaining questions in the areas of core-concrete interaction and debris coolability},
author = {Farmer, M. T. and Gerardi, C. and Bremer, N. and Basu, S.},
abstractNote = {The reactor accidents at Fukushima-Dai-ichi have rekindled interest in late phase severe accident behavior involving reactor pressure vessel breach and discharge of molten core melt into the containment. Two technical issues of interest in this area include core-concrete interaction and the extent to which the core debris may be quenched and rendered coolable by top flooding. The OECD-sponsored Melt Coolability and Concrete Interaction (MCCI) programs at Argonne National Laboratory included the conduct of large scale reactor material experiments and associated analysis with the objectives of resolving the ex-vessel debris coolability issue, and to address remaining uncertainties related to long-term two-dimensional molten core-concrete interactions under both wet and dry cavity conditions. These tests provided a broad database to support accident management planning, as well as the development and validation of models and codes that can be used to extrapolate the experiment results to plant conditions. This paper provides a high level overview of the key experiment results obtained during the program. Finally, a discussion is also provided that describes technical gaps that remain in this area, several of which have arisen based on the sequence of events and operator actions during Fukushima.},
doi = {10.13182/NT16-43},
journal = {Nuclear Technology},
number = 3,
volume = 196,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 31 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Mon Oct 31 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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