Fuel Temperatures in an Argonaut Reactor Core Following a Hypothetical Design Basis Accident (DBA)

摘要

A thermodynamic analysis was prepared to determine if fuel in an ARGONAUT-type reactor would melt following a hypothetical earthquake which would collapse the superstructure onto the reactor core. The analysis assumed horizontal and/or vertical collapse of the core, wherein the coolant channels were compressed to 25% and 75% of original condition. Reactor core equilibrium conditions were assumed for a 100 kW and 500 kW operation. A two-dimensional thermodynamic analysis indicated no melting of the core at 100 kW equilibrium operation and partial melting of the core at 500 kW operation. For the condition of vertical and/or horizontal crushing of the core, conduction of heat away from the fuel becomes the dominant heat transfer mechanism.