Suppression of vapor explosions in a water-molten-tin system by augmentation of the void fraction

Citation
Mk. Meeks et al., Suppression of vapor explosions in a water-molten-tin system by augmentation of the void fraction, NUCL TECH, 129(1), 2000, pp. 69-81
Citations number
26
Categorie Soggetti
Nuclear Emgineering
Journal title
NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY
ISSN journal
00295450 → ACNP
Volume
129
Issue
1
Year of publication
2000
Pages
69 - 81
Database
ISI
SICI code
0029-5450(200001)129:1<69:SOVEIA>2.0.ZU;2-6
Abstract
Experiments were performed to determine the likelihood of a vapor explosion when injecting an inert gas (nitrogen) and a coolant (water) into a pool o f molten metal (tin) in a large-scale chamber (similar to 20 kg fuel). The injection flow rates of the water and nitrogen gas were the principal exper imental variables, with average water flow rates up to 0.05 x 10(-3) m(3)/s and gas flow rates ranging from 0.33 x 10(-3) to 1.67 x 10(-3) m(3)/s. Of 35 successful experiments, 11 resulted in art explosive interaction, as det ermined by audible signals, videotape, and accelerometer data. The main obj ective of the investigation was to determine the existence of a boundary be tween explosive and nonexplosive regions in the water-gas flow rate plane: Such a boundary was indeed identified and approximated by a straight line. Two experiments in which explosive interactions were obtained in the low wa ter/gas flow regions after a relatively long time of coolant injection (sim ilar to 5 to 10 s) demonstrate the hitherto undervalued importance of the t emporal variable.