Evaluation of bursting capacity of containment vessels for hydrogen gas deflagrations and detonations

摘要

This paper describes a procedure to assess the bursting capacity of containment vessels used to transport radioactive materials. These vessels can be susceptible to an internal deflagration or detonation due to the ignition of hydrogen gas evolved by radiolysis. The maximum pressure capacity of a containment vessel can be established by determining the maximum primary vessel stresses at themaximum normal operating pressure and linearly extrapolating this pressure to stresses equal to the tensile yield or ultimate strength of the vesse's structural material. This leads to a maximum pressure to yield or burst the vessel. COmparison of data obtaiend with this proceudr ewith experidmental data or calculations that estimate the maximum deflagrationor detonation pressure can provide a reasonable estimate of the capability of the containment vessel to safely contain the gases.