Test results on direct containment heating by high-pressure melt ejection into the Surtsey vessel: The TDS test series

• Main Authors: Allen, M.D., Blanchat, T.K., Pilch, M.M.
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; PWR TYPE REACTORS; MELTDOWN; TEST FACILITIES; CONTAINMENT BUILDINGS; HEATING; PRESSURIZATION; CORIUM; MITIGATION; RELIABILITY; SCALE MODELS; BLOWDOWN; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; Surtsey
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10183168; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10183168; https://doi.org/10.2172/10183168

The Technology Development and Scoping (TDS) test series was conducted to test and develop instrumentation and procedures for performing steam-driven, high-pressure melt ejection (HPME) experiments at the Surtsey Test Facility to investigate direct containment heating (DCH). Seven experiments, designated TDS-1 through TDS-7, were performed in this test series. These experiments were conducted using similar initial conditions; the primary variable was the initial pressure in the Surtsey vessel. All experiments in this test series were performed with a steam driving gas pressure of {approx_equal} 4 MPa, 80 kg of lumina/iron/chromium thermite melt simulant, an initial hole diameter of 4.8 cm (which ablated to a final hole diameter of {approx_equal} 6 cm), and a 1/10th linear scale model of the Surry reactor cavity. The Surtsey vessel was purged with argon (<0.25 mol% O{sub 2}) to limit the recombination of hydrogen and oxygen, and gas grab samples were taken to measure the amount of hydrogen produced.