Studies Of Metal-Water Reactions At High Temperatures. Iii. Experimental And Theoretical Studies Of The Zirconium-Water Reaction
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Further studies of the Zr-water reaction by the condenser-discharge method are reported. The reaction was studied with initial metal temperatures from 1100 to 4000 deg C with 30- and 60-mil wires in water from room temperature to 315 deg C (1500-psi vapor pressure). Runs in heated water showed markedly greater reactions. This was explained in terms of a 2-step reaction scheme in which the reaction rate is initially controlled by the rate of gaseous diffusion of water vapor toward the hot metal particles and of hydrogen, generated by reaction, away from the particles. At a later time, the reaction becomes controlled by the parabolic rate law, resulting in rapid cooling of the particles. A mathematical model of the reaction of molten metal spheres with water was proposed. Explosive reactions were found to occur with particles smaller than about 1 mm in heated water and 0.5 mm in room-temperature water. The explosive reactions were caused by the ability of the evolving H/sub 2/ to propel the particles through water at high speed. The high-speed motion was detected on motion picture film and had the effect of removing the gaseous diffusion barrier (increasing the Nusselt number), resulting in very rapid reaction. Computed results compared favorably with experimental results obtained by the condenser- discharge experiment and with the results of previous investigators. Computations indicated that the extent and rate of reaction depended on the particle diameter and the water temperature, and were relatively independent of the metal temperature so long as the metal was fully melted. This makes it possible to estimate the extent of Zr-water reaction that would occur during a reactor accident in which the particle sizes of the residue could be estimated. Comparisons were made with the results of meltdown experiments in TREAT, and applications to reactor hazards analysis were discussed. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-030718
- OSTI ID:
- 4781681
- Report Number(s):
- ANL-6548
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONDENSERS
CONTROL
DIFFUSION
GASES
GRAIN SIZE
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROGEN
LIQUID METALS
MATHEMATICS
SPHERES
VAPORS
WATER
WIRES
ZIRCONIUM
Chemical Reactions
Condensers
Control
Diffusion
Gases
Grain Size
High Temperature
Hydrogen
Liquid Metals
Mathematics
Spheres
Vapors
Water
Wires
Zirconium