Vapor Explosion Phenomena with Respect to Nuclear Reactor Safety Assessment

Cronenberg, A.W.; Benz, R.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-9916-2_6

Cited by 25 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…which shows that ( 1% of the thermal energy is transferred from the solid components to the water [Hicks and Menzies, 1965;Cronenberg and Benz, 1980;Duda, 1982, 1985;Watts, 1994]. Multiple steam explosion events can sometimes increase the amount of mixing during subsequent interactions, but the magnitude of the efficiency cannot increase substantially beyond the estimate given here because we are considering solid particles of a fixed size Watts, 1994].…”

Section: Energetics and Heat Transfermentioning

confidence: 96%

“…However, a localized region of steam explosion within the pyroclastic flow is unlikely to be tsunamigenic. In contrast, the propagation of localized steam explosions requires the sequential collapse of nearby vapor films until the front of the pyroclastic flow is consumed [Cronenberg and Benz, 1980]. The triggering process takes time, leading to a finite speed of steam explosion propagation.…”

Section: Steam Explosion Tsunami Generationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Theoretical analysis of tsunami generation by pyroclastic flows

Watts¹,

Waythomas

2003

J. Geophys. Res.

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[1] Pyroclastic flows are a common product of explosive volcanism and have the potential to initiate tsunamis whenever thick, dense flows encounter bodies of water. We evaluate the process of tsunami generation by pyroclastic flow by decomposing the pyroclastic flow into two components, the dense underflow portion, which we term the pyroclastic debris flow, and the plume, which includes the surge and coignimbrite ash cloud parts of the flow. We consider five possible wave generation mechanisms. These mechanisms consist of steam explosion, pyroclastic debris flow, plume pressure, plume shear, and pressure impulse wave generation. Our theoretical analysis of tsunami generation by these mechanisms provides an estimate of tsunami features such as a characteristic wave amplitude and wavelength. We find that in most situations, tsunami generation is dominated by the pyroclastic debris flow component of a pyroclastic flow. This work presents information sufficient to construct tsunami sources for an arbitrary pyroclastic flow interacting with most bodies of water.

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Section: Energetics and Heat Transfermentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Steam Explosion Tsunami Generationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Theoretical analysis of tsunami generation by pyroclastic flows

Watts¹,

Waythomas

2003

J. Geophys. Res.

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“…During a severe reactor accident, molten core material (corium) can relocate in the lower plenum of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) or, after failure of the RPV, it can be released into the containment cavity. Taking into account the presence of water in the degraded/molten core or in the reactor cavity, this could lead to one or more energetic fuelcoolant interactions (FCIs) [1][2][3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…FCI has been a long-standing matter of concern in nuclear reactor safety [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. During the recent years, the research focus has shifted from the early containment failure as a consequence of an in-vessel steam explosion (the famous α-mode failure) to possible consequences of steam explosions, primarily ex-vessel but also in-vessel, though in a context different from the α-mode failure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of Fuel‐Coolant Interaction Model for Severe Accident Simulations

Мелихов¹,

Мелихов

Yakush

et al. 2011

Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations

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A specialized module VAPEX-M has been developed and implemented as a part of an integral code, SOCRAT, to enable the modeling of fuel-coolant interactions (FCIs) during severe accidents. The mathematical model and correlations for the main physical processes are described. Results of computational analysis of three experimental series reported in the literature are presented. The calculations were carried out by the combined SOCRAT/VAPEX code and were aimed at validation of the predictive capabilities of the code. The experiments chosen cover a wide range of physical parameters, which enables different aspects of the code to be verified, that is, drag correlations (MAGICO-2000), evaporation rate (QUEOS), fuel fragmentation, and interaction with the coolant in all complexity (FARO). Generally, reasonable agreement between the measured data and calculated results was obtained, which allows one to use the combined SOCRAT/VAPEX code for severe accidents analysis.

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“…Even though these explosions have the potential to cause serious accidents in the metals, nuclear and other industries, they are not well understood. In order to provide information about the nature, energetic, and possible suppression of these explosions, many experiments have been performed in which both large and small qua@ities of molten materials have been brought together with liquid water in various configurations (see reviews by Buxton and Nelson 1975;Cronenberg and Benz 1980;Reid 1983;Corradini et al 1988). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aluminum-Enhanced Underwater Electrical Discharges for Steam Explosion Triggering

Hogeland¹,

Nelson²,

Roth³

1999

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For a number of years, we have been initiating steam explosions of single drops of molten materials with pressure and flow (bubble growth) transients generated by discharging a capacitor bank through gold bridgewires placed underwater. Recent experimental and theoretical advances in the fieId of steam explosions, however, have made it important to substantially increase these relatively mild transients in water without using high explosives, if possible. To do this with the same capacitor bank, we have discharged similar energies through tiny strips of aluminum foil submerged in water. By replacing the gold wires with the aluminum strips, we were able to add the energy of the aluminum-water combustion to that normally deposited electrically by the bridgewire explosion in water.The chemical enhancement of the explosive characteristics of the discharges was substantial: when the same electrical energies were discharged through the aluminum strips, peak pressures increased as much as 12-foId and maximum bubble volumes as much as 5-fold above those generated with the gold wires. For given weights of aluminum, the magnitudes of both parameters appeared to exceed those produced by the underwater explosion of equivalent weights of high explosives.a Member of Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories, when this work was performed; current address,

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Vapor Explosion Phenomena with Respect to Nuclear Reactor Safety Assessment

Cited by 25 publications

References 45 publications

Theoretical analysis of tsunami generation by pyroclastic flows

Theoretical analysis of tsunami generation by pyroclastic flows

Validation of Fuel‐Coolant Interaction Model for Severe Accident Simulations

Aluminum-Enhanced Underwater Electrical Discharges for Steam Explosion Triggering

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