Core phenomenology. TEC report on CRBRP PRA Phase II, Task 6C. Final draft report, Revision 1

As part of the determination of the risk potential associated with core-damage accident sequences for the CRBRP, a review of the core-damage phenomenology is necessary. How core damage proceeds, its effects on the primary system boundary, and the timing and energetic potential associated with core damage are important to determining the challenge to containment and the ultimate release of fission products to the environment. This chapter addresses the phenomenology related to the core-damage processes and by the use of a core-response event tree, estimates are made of the probability that certain core-response scenarios are followed