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Title: Release and transport of fission product cesium in the TMI-2 accident

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5041976

Approximately 50% of the fission product cesium was released from the overheated UO/sub 2/ fuel in the TMI-2 accident. Steam that boiled away from a water pool in the bottom of the reactor vessel transported the released fission products throughout the reactor coolant system (RCS). Some fission products passed directly through a leaking valve with steam and water into the containment structure, but most deposited on dry surfaces inside of the RCS before being dissolved or resuspended when the RCS was refilled with water. A cesium transport model was developed that extended measured cesium in the RCS back to the first day of the accident. The model revealed that approx.62% of the released /sup 137/Cs deposited on dry surfaces inside of the RCS before being slowly leached and transported out of the RCS in leaked or letdown water. The leach rates from the model agreed reasonably well with those measured in the laboratory. The chemical behavior of cesium in the TMI-2 accident agreed with that observed in fission product release tests at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA). Chemical Technology Div.
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
5041976
Report Number(s):
CONF-860911-19; ON: DE87000662
Resource Relation:
Conference: 192. American Chemical Society national meeting, Anaheim, CA, USA, 7 Sep 1986
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English