Multi-compartment hydrogen deflagration experiments in the Battelle-Frankfurt model containment

Hydrogen combustion (deflagration, detonation) in an LWR containment during a severe accident is an important concern in reactor safety. So far, deflagration phenomena have been experimentally investigated mainly in single-volume facilities; these resulted in moderate pressure build-ups. Therefore, recent research has been directed predominantly at a possible transition from deflagration to detonation, from which relevant pressure peaks are expected. The present paper, however, deals with experimental investigations on deflagration phenomena in multi-compartment containment geometries, which turned out to yield much higher pressure build-ups than had been expected on the basis of the findings of single-compartment experiments