Model for the recovery of a badly degraded core

In this paper, a model for a recovery of a badly degraded core is presented for application to severe accident analysis of advanced light water reactors. The purpose of the model is to assess the potential amount and rate of in-vessel hydrogen generation and aid in the evaluation of accident management strategies. A review of the available data from the TMI-2 accident on primary system and core behavior during a core uncovery, after portions of the core have reached melting temperatures, is conducted for pertinent application to the model. Consistency between the model predictions and data is demonstrated. The effect of new model on a recovery sequence in a typical pressurized water reactor is also presented