Experimental results of direct containment heating by high-pressure melt ejection into the Surtsey vessel: The DCH-3 and DCH-4 tests

Abstract

Two experiments,

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

“…It was important in the DCH issue resolution process to develop hardware, techniques, procedures, and instrumentation for reliably performing high-quality DCH experiments at 3 to 4 week intervals. Previous DCH experiments [Allen et al 1991a] using similar melt simulants, but using nitrogen gas as a surrogate for steam, were conducted at about 9-month intervals. The TDS test series demonstrated that steam-driven, high-pressure melt ejection experiments with an alumina/iron/chromium melt simulant could be successfully performed at 3-week intervals.…”

“…To improve the representation of core debris, chromium metal was added to the iron oxide/aluminum thermite melt used in the earlier DCH tests [Allen et al 1991a]. The amount of chromium added to the melt was selected so that it would be about 18 wt.…”

“…The DCH-3,4 experiments [Allen et al 1991a] used thermitic melts that were nearly identical to the current melt, only without the chromium. The specific heat content of those melts is estimated to be about 3.0 MJ/kg, based upon the measured peak temperatures of 2600 K. The addition of chromium to the melt is expected to further reduce the heat content to 2.8 MJ/kg, which is still above Bogolyubov's criterion of 2.3 MJ/kg for a self-propagating reaction.…”