Modelling of the Corium-RPV-Wall Interaction in the Frame of an In-Vessel-Retention Scenario


Modelling of the Corium-RPV-Wall Interaction in the Frame of an In-Vessel-Retention Scenario

Altstadt, E.; Willschütz, H.-G.

The improbable scenario of a severe accident with core meltdown and formation of a melt pool in the lower plenum of a Light Water Reactor (LWR) Pressure Vessel (RPV) can result in the failure of the RPV and the discharging of the melt to the con-tainment. One accident management strategy could be to stabilize the in-vessel de-bris or melt pool configuration in the RPV as one major barrier against uncontrolled release of heat and radionuclides into the containment of the plant.
Based on the successful simulation and analysis work of the FOREVER-experiments the models have been developed further to simulate the prototypical scenario of an In-Vessel-Retention in large PWRs. Based on recently observed results of the METCOR-Experiments it is known that the vessel wall ablation in case of melt-wall-contact can take place well below the steel melting point of T = 1493 °C. The FE-model developed at FZD is now improved to consider the time dependent thermo chemical wall ablation process.

Keywords: severe accident; nuclear power station; core melt down; melt steel wall interaction; corrosion/ablation; residual wall thickness

  • Contribution to proceedings
    Jahrestagung Kerntechnik 2007, 22.-24.05.2007, Karlsruhe, Deutschland
    Beiträge zur Jahrestagung Kerntechnik 2007, Proceedings on CD-ROM, Paper 328, Berlin: INFORUM Verlags- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, 293-299

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Publ.-Id: 9042