Hydrogen behavior and control in light-water reactors

Sandia National Laboratories is conducting a hydrogen research program for the Office of Research of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Our program has two major objectives: assessment of the threat to nuclear power plants (containment structure, safety and control equipment, and the primary system) posed by hydrogen combustion; assessment of proposed hydrogen control and disposal methods, and development of new concepts. The products of this research program will include: assessment of the threat for several classes of reactors and containment designs; assessment of the adequacy of existing safety systems and mitigation strategies; identification and concept demonstration of improved mitigation and detection systems; publication of manuals and reports on: evaluation of the state-of-the-art; phenomena important to threat assessment; operator strategies and training; and reactor safety issues; and development and application of computer codes for addressing the generation, transport, combustion and mitigation of hydrogen during hypothetical reactor accidents