Severe accident thermal analyses of a PWR with in-vessel radiation/convection and external flooding

摘要

A severe accident thermal analysis has been performed to study the effect of thermal radiation from the upper surface of a relocated molten core to the vessel inner walls and vessel internals. External water flooding has been included as a means of cooling the vessel to prevent thermal failure. A finite element gray body radiation model is used to predict radiant heat transfer from the molten core to the vessel wall, core barrel, reflector shield, and fuel assemblies of a partially melted and partially relocated core with decay heat. Parametric studies have been performed in which variations in the emissivity of the core crust, vessel wall, fuel assemblies, and other vessel internals have been considered. Other parameters considered included the flooding water level, and vessel upper structure radiant temperature. A finite element computational fluid dynamics model of hydrogen turbulent natural convection inside the vessel is included. The effect of a metallic layer overlying the relocated ceramic core has also been considered. Inside vessel wall temperatures were predicted to be excess of the melting point for some cases. These studies show that vessel integrity is mainly dependent upon the height of the flooding water on the vessel exterior.