Aerosol generation from sodium pool fires: Learning from the 1980s-era EMIS experiments and modelling

• Published in: Nuclear engineering and design 2018-04, Vol.330, p.36-50
• Main Authors: Lebel, Luke S., Girault, Nathalie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerosol generation; Aerosols; Combustion; Containment; Fire damage; Fires; Fluidized bed combustion; Historical experiments; Nuclear engineering; Nuclear safety; Physics; Pool fires; Product safety; Radioisotopes; Reactors; Safety devices; Sodium; Sodium cooled reactors; Sodium fast reactors; Sodium pool fires
• ISSN: 0029-5493; 1872-759X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2018.01.030

[Display omitted] •Re-analysis of historical sodium pool fire experiments.•Correlation of aerosol emissions to sodium burn rate.•Development of a 1D diffusion flame model for sodium combustion.•Extension of flame model to prediction of particle release fractions. A sodium fire during a major accident in a sodium fast reactor could have serious consequences. The fire could damage plant components and safety devices, and release highly toxic combustion product aerosols into the air. It is particularly important to characterize aerosol generation, since when the fires involve contaminated sodium from the primary coolant system, these aerosols are the main vector by which radionuclides are transported throughout containment and ultimately out into the surrounding environment. As such, being able to quantify the aerosolization of material from a sodium fire is essential in evaluating potential releases from the plant during an accident. This paper presents a model for sodium combustion product aerosolization, and exploits a series of 1980s-Era sodium fire experiments in order to develop and refine the model.