Experiments to investigate the effect of flight path on direct containment heating (DCH) in the Surtsey test facility

The goal of the Limited Flight Path (LFP) test series was to investigate the effect of reactor subcompartment flight path length on direct containment heating (DCH). The test series consisted of eight experiments with nominal flight paths of 1, 2, or 8 m. A thermitically generated mixture of iron, c...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Allen, M.D., Pilch, M., Griffith, R.O. (Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)), Nichols, R.T. (Ktech Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States))
Other Authors: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Format: Report
Language:English
Published: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. Division of Systems Research. 1991
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.2172/5955314
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1102694/
_version_ 1821723771224981504
author Allen, M.D.
Pilch, M.
Griffith, R.O. (Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States))
Nichols, R.T. (Ktech Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States))
author2 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
author_facet Allen, M.D.
Pilch, M.
Griffith, R.O. (Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States))
Nichols, R.T. (Ktech Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States))
author_sort Allen, M.D.
collection University of North Texas: UNT Digital Library
description The goal of the Limited Flight Path (LFP) test series was to investigate the effect of reactor subcompartment flight path length on direct containment heating (DCH). The test series consisted of eight experiments with nominal flight paths of 1, 2, or 8 m. A thermitically generated mixture of iron, chromium, and alumina simulated the corium melt of a severe reactor accident. After thermite ignition, superheated steam forcibly ejected the molten debris into a 1:10 linear scale the model of a dry reactor cavity. The blowdown steam entrained the molten debris and dispersed it into the Surtsey vessel. The vessel pressure, gas temperature, debris temperature, hydrogen produced by steam/metal reactions, debris velocity, mass dispersed into the Surtsey vessel, and debris particle size were measured for each experiment. The measured peak pressure for each experiment was normalized by the total amount of energy introduced into the Surtsey vessel; the normalized pressures increased with lengthened flight path. The debris temperature at the cavity exit was about 2320 K. Gas grab samples indicated that steam in the cavity reacted rapidly to form hydrogen, so the driving gas was a mixture of steam and hydrogen. These experiments indicate that debris may be trapped in reactor subcompartments and thus will not efficiently transfer heat to gas in the upper dome of a containment building. The effect of deentrainment by reactor subcompartments may significantly reduce the peak containment load in a severe reactor accident. 8 refs., 49 figs., 6 tabs.
format Report
genre Surtsey
genre_facet Surtsey
geographic Surtsey
geographic_facet Surtsey
id ftunivnotexas:info:ark/67531/metadc1102694
institution Open Polar
language English
long_lat ENVELOPE(-20.608,-20.608,63.301,63.301)
op_collection_id ftunivnotexas
op_doi https://doi.org/10.2172/5955314
op_relation other: TI92002692
rep-no: NUREG/CR-5728
rep-no: SAND--91-1105
grantno: AC04-76DP00789
doi:10.2172/5955314
osti: 5955314
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1102694/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc1102694
publishDate 1991
publisher U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. Division of Systems Research.
record_format openpolar
spelling ftunivnotexas:info:ark/67531/metadc1102694 2025-01-17T01:01:25+00:00 Experiments to investigate the effect of flight path on direct containment heating (DCH) in the Surtsey test facility Allen, M.D. Pilch, M. Griffith, R.O. (Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)) Nichols, R.T. (Ktech Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States)) U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1991-10-01 97 pages Text https://doi.org/10.2172/5955314 https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1102694/ English eng U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. Division of Systems Research. Sandia National Laboratories other: TI92002692 rep-no: NUREG/CR-5728 rep-no: SAND--91-1105 grantno: AC04-76DP00789 doi:10.2172/5955314 osti: 5955314 https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1102694/ ark: ark:/67531/metadc1102694 220200 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories Heat Transfer Elements Chemical Reactions Hydraulics 22 General Studies Of Nuclear Reactors Reactor Accidents Water Moderated Reactors 220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety Power Plants Fluid Mechanics Heating Power Reactors Surry-1 Reactor Water Cooled Reactors Containment Structural Models Accidents Thermal Reactors Reactors Steam Test Facilities Mechanics Reactor Safety Surry-2 Reactor Surry-4 Reactor Energy Transfer Enriched Uranium Reactors Hydrogen Corium Pwr Type Reactors Scale Models Nonmetals Nuclear Facilities Safety Surry-3 Reactor Thermal Power Plants Nuclear Power Plants Report 1991 ftunivnotexas https://doi.org/10.2172/5955314 2021-03-13T23:08:06Z The goal of the Limited Flight Path (LFP) test series was to investigate the effect of reactor subcompartment flight path length on direct containment heating (DCH). The test series consisted of eight experiments with nominal flight paths of 1, 2, or 8 m. A thermitically generated mixture of iron, chromium, and alumina simulated the corium melt of a severe reactor accident. After thermite ignition, superheated steam forcibly ejected the molten debris into a 1:10 linear scale the model of a dry reactor cavity. The blowdown steam entrained the molten debris and dispersed it into the Surtsey vessel. The vessel pressure, gas temperature, debris temperature, hydrogen produced by steam/metal reactions, debris velocity, mass dispersed into the Surtsey vessel, and debris particle size were measured for each experiment. The measured peak pressure for each experiment was normalized by the total amount of energy introduced into the Surtsey vessel; the normalized pressures increased with lengthened flight path. The debris temperature at the cavity exit was about 2320 K. Gas grab samples indicated that steam in the cavity reacted rapidly to form hydrogen, so the driving gas was a mixture of steam and hydrogen. These experiments indicate that debris may be trapped in reactor subcompartments and thus will not efficiently transfer heat to gas in the upper dome of a containment building. The effect of deentrainment by reactor subcompartments may significantly reduce the peak containment load in a severe reactor accident. 8 refs., 49 figs., 6 tabs. Report Surtsey University of North Texas: UNT Digital Library Surtsey ENVELOPE(-20.608,-20.608,63.301,63.301)
spellingShingle 220200 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories
Heat Transfer
Elements
Chemical Reactions
Hydraulics
22 General Studies Of Nuclear Reactors
Reactor Accidents
Water Moderated Reactors 220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
Power Plants
Fluid Mechanics
Heating
Power Reactors
Surry-1 Reactor
Water Cooled Reactors
Containment
Structural Models
Accidents
Thermal Reactors
Reactors
Steam
Test Facilities
Mechanics
Reactor Safety
Surry-2 Reactor
Surry-4 Reactor
Energy Transfer
Enriched Uranium Reactors
Hydrogen
Corium
Pwr Type Reactors
Scale Models
Nonmetals
Nuclear Facilities
Safety
Surry-3 Reactor
Thermal Power Plants
Nuclear Power Plants
Allen, M.D.
Pilch, M.
Griffith, R.O. (Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States))
Nichols, R.T. (Ktech Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States))
Experiments to investigate the effect of flight path on direct containment heating (DCH) in the Surtsey test facility
title Experiments to investigate the effect of flight path on direct containment heating (DCH) in the Surtsey test facility
title_full Experiments to investigate the effect of flight path on direct containment heating (DCH) in the Surtsey test facility
title_fullStr Experiments to investigate the effect of flight path on direct containment heating (DCH) in the Surtsey test facility
title_full_unstemmed Experiments to investigate the effect of flight path on direct containment heating (DCH) in the Surtsey test facility
title_short Experiments to investigate the effect of flight path on direct containment heating (DCH) in the Surtsey test facility
title_sort experiments to investigate the effect of flight path on direct containment heating (dch) in the surtsey test facility
topic 220200 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories
Heat Transfer
Elements
Chemical Reactions
Hydraulics
22 General Studies Of Nuclear Reactors
Reactor Accidents
Water Moderated Reactors 220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
Power Plants
Fluid Mechanics
Heating
Power Reactors
Surry-1 Reactor
Water Cooled Reactors
Containment
Structural Models
Accidents
Thermal Reactors
Reactors
Steam
Test Facilities
Mechanics
Reactor Safety
Surry-2 Reactor
Surry-4 Reactor
Energy Transfer
Enriched Uranium Reactors
Hydrogen
Corium
Pwr Type Reactors
Scale Models
Nonmetals
Nuclear Facilities
Safety
Surry-3 Reactor
Thermal Power Plants
Nuclear Power Plants
topic_facet 220200 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories
Heat Transfer
Elements
Chemical Reactions
Hydraulics
22 General Studies Of Nuclear Reactors
Reactor Accidents
Water Moderated Reactors 220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
Power Plants
Fluid Mechanics
Heating
Power Reactors
Surry-1 Reactor
Water Cooled Reactors
Containment
Structural Models
Accidents
Thermal Reactors
Reactors
Steam
Test Facilities
Mechanics
Reactor Safety
Surry-2 Reactor
Surry-4 Reactor
Energy Transfer
Enriched Uranium Reactors
Hydrogen
Corium
Pwr Type Reactors
Scale Models
Nonmetals
Nuclear Facilities
Safety
Surry-3 Reactor
Thermal Power Plants
Nuclear Power Plants
url https://doi.org/10.2172/5955314
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1102694/