Special devices (core catchers) might be required in the future to prevent containment failure by basemat erosion after reactor pressure vessel melt-through during a core meltdown accident. Quick freezing of the molten core masses is desirable to reduce the release of radioactivity. A configuration is investigated that consists essentially of a stack of vertically superimposed melt-resistant ceramic pans and that makes use of the vertical extension of small-diameter cavities to provide a sufficiently large spreading area such that the core melt freezes quickly. Tests with similar to 100 kg of molten iron and aluminum oxide generated by the thermite reaction give some information on the resistance of various materials against the mixed metal/oxide melt and on the flow and distribution of metallic and oxide melts in such a core-catcher configuration. References: 13
展开▼
