Experimental study of the behaviour of prestressed concrete pressure vessels of high temperature reactors at accident temperatures

Studies on HTR safety have indicated the great significance of processes resulting during temperature stressing of the pressure vessel concrete for the sequence and consequences of accidents, particularly those with unrestricted core heat-up. The phenomena associated with the release of H2O (and CO2 in the case of calcitic concrete) are decisive. Up to now in the main only theoretical investigations have been available for high temperatures and mass concrete. They naturally contain a lot of assumptions and model uncertainties which can only be eliminated by experimental studies. The aim of the experimental work is to expose representative sections of the PCRV from HTR's to the expected accident temperatures and to investigate the behaviour of the reinforced concrete, the steel liner and the thermal insulation. (orig.)