Interpretation of large scale vapor explosion experiments with application to light water reactor (LWR) accidents: Chapter 6

Recent vapor explosion experiments with the thermite - H/sub 2/O system (≅ 20 kg of iron-alumina) and large scale liquified natural gas (LNG) - H/sub 2/O tests on a volume scale equivalent to the fuel inventory in LWRs are interpreted in terms of the ''explosivity'' potential relative to the CORIUM (UO/sub 2/-ZrO/sub 2/-stainless steel) - saturated H/sub 2/O system. Consistent with the enormous film boiling heat flux associated with the LWR system, considerations are given to potential limitations in the necessary fragmentation and intermixing process resulting from early freezing and fluidization. These considerations are shown to be consistent with the observed behavior of large scale experiments with the LNG-H/sub 2/O and the thermite-H/sub 2/O systems and the absence of propagating vapor explosions with the CORIUM-saturated H/sub 2/O system