Experiments to investigate direct containment heating phenomena with scaled models of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant

• Main Authors: Blanchat, T. K., Pilch, M. M., Allen, M. D.
• Other Authors: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1997
• Subjects: Heating Load; Flow Blockage; Containment Buildings; Calvert Cliffs-1 Reactor; Scale Models; Blowdown; 22 Nuclear Reactor Technology; Meltdown; 21 Nuclear Power Reactors And Associated Plants; Surtsey
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2172/453735; http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc676114/

The Surtsey Test Facility is used to perform scaled experiments simulating High Pressure Melt Ejection accidents in a nuclear power plant (NPP). The experiments investigate the effects of direct containment heating (DCH) on the containment load. The results from Zion and Surry experiments can be extrapolated to other Westinghouse plants, but predicted containment loads cannot be generalized to all Combustion Engineering (CE) plants. Five CE plants have melt dispersal flow paths which circumvent the main mitigation of containment compartmentalization in most Westinghouse PWRs. Calvert Cliff-like plant geometries and the impact of codispersed water were addressed as part of the DCH issue resolution. Integral effects tests were performed with a scale model of the Calvert Cliffs NPP inside the Surtsey test vessel. The experiments investigated the effects of codispersal of water, steam, and molten core stimulant materials on DCH loads under prototypic accident conditions and plant configurations. The results indicated that large amounts of coejected water reduced the DCH load by a small amount. Large amounts of debris were dispersed from the cavity to the upper dome (via the annular gap). 22 refs., 84 figs., 30 tabs.