Validation and Application of a Code for Three-Dimensional Analysis of Hydrogen–Steam Behavior in a Nuclear Reactor Containment during Severe Accidents
Source abstract
Abstract
In a pressurized water reactor (PWR) during a loss of coolant accident (LOCA) or a station blackout (SBO) accident, water and steam are released into the containment building. The water vapor mixes with the atmosphere, partially condensing into droplets or condensing on the containment walls. Although a significant amount of water vapor condenses, it coexists with hydrogen generated by the reactor core oxidation. As water vapor condenses, the volume fraction of hydrogen increases, raising the risk of explosion or flame acceleration. As such, water vapor’s behavior directly affects hydrogen distribution. To conservatively evaluate hydrogen safety in a PWR during a severe accident, lumped-parameter codes have been heavily used. As a best-estimate approach for hydrogen safety analysis in a PWR containment, a turbulence-resolved CFD code called contain3D has been developed. This paper presents the validation results of the code and simulation results of hydrogen behavior affected by water vapor condensation and hydrogen removal by passive autocatalytic recombiners (PARs) in the APR1400 containment. The results provide insight into the three-dimensional behaviors of the hydrogen in the containment.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Combustion and Detonation Processes · Fire dynamics and safety research · Risk and Safety Analysis
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon 34057, Republic of Korea
Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon 34142, Republic of Korea
Funding
Korea Foundation of Nuclear Safety (KOFONS)
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