CORQUENCH: A model for gas sparging-enhanced, melt-water, film-boiling heat transfer

In evaluation of severe-accident sequences for water-cooled nuclear reactors, molten core materials may be postulated to be released into the containment and accumulate on concrete. The heatup and decomposition of concrete is accompanied by the release of water vapor and carbon dioxide gases. Gases flowing through the melt upper surface can influence the rates of heat transfer to water overlying the melt. In particular, the gas flow through the interface can be envisioned to enhance the heat removal from the melt. A mechanistic model (CORQUENCH) has been developed to describe film-boiling heat transfer between a molten pool and an overlying coolant layer in the presence of sparging gas. The model favorably predicts the lead-Feron 11 data of Greene and Greene et al. for which the calculations indicate that area enhancement in the conduction heat transfer across the film is the predominant mechanism leading to augmentation in the heat flux as the gas velocity increases. Predictions for oxidic corium indicate a rapid increase in film-boiling heat flux as the gas velocity rises. The predominant mode of heat transfer for this case is radiation, and the increase in heat flux with gas velocity is primarily a result of interfacial area enhancement of the radiation component of the overall heat transfer coefficient. The CORQUENCH model has been incorporated into the MELTSPREAD-1 computer code6 for the analysis of transient spreading in containments