Long-time asymptotics of the long-range Emch-Radin model

The long-time asymptotic behavior is studied for a long-range variant of the Emch-Radin model of interacting spins. We derive upper and lower bounds on the expectation values of a class of observables. We prove analytically that the time scale at which the system relaxes to equilibrium diverges with the system size N, displaying quasistationary nonequilibrium behavior. This finding implies that, for large enough N, equilibration will not be observed in an experiment of finite duration.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures. Compared to the published version, a 1/2 has been corrected in Eq. (9) and subsequent equations; the modifications are insubstantial and leave the main results of the article unaltered. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1103.083

Radiation heat transfer within and from high temperature plumes composed of steam and molten nuclear debris

The Differential Approximation of Radiation Heat Transfer which includes anisotropic scattering is formulated to account for multiple source and temperature fields of multiphase flow. The formulation is applied to a simplified model of a plume consisting of high temperature emissive particles in steam at parametrically variable lower temperatures. Parametric model calculations are presented which account for spectral emission and absorption by steam using a band approximation as well as emission, absorption and scattering by the debris. The results are found to be far more sensitive to emission properties of individual particles, than to their scattering properties at high temperatures

Heat radiation through steam in direct containment heating

In current discussions of the direct heating of containment atmospheres (DCH) during a hypothetical severe accident in certain PWR's, involving meltdown and discharge via steam blowdown of substantial core materials (corium) from primary into secondary containment, there is concern about the potential for containment loading resulting from the release of large amounts of thermal energy from the airborne corium debris or aerosol directly to the containment atmosphere in sufficient quantities to cause overpressurization. The purpose of this study is to provide some preliminary indications based upon existing correlations, data, models, about transmission of high temperature radiant heat through steam at distances and conditions of significance to DCH

Heat transfer from a high temperature condensable mixture

A new development in heat transfer is reported. It is concerned with heat transfer from a gaseous mixture that contains a condensable vapor and is at very high temperature. In the past, heat transfer associated with either a condensable mixture at low temperature or a noncondensable mixture at high temperature has been investigated. The former reduces to the classical problem of fog formation in, say, atmosphere where the rate of condensation is diffusion controlled (molecular or conductive diffusions). In the presence of noncondensable gases, heat transfer to a cooler boundary by this mechanism is known to be drastically reduced. In the latter case, where the high temperature mixture is noncondensable, radiative transfer may become dominant and a vast amount of existing literature exists on this class of problem. A fundamentally different type of problem of relevance to recent advances in open cycle MHD power plants and breeder reactor safety is considered. In the advanced coal-fired power plant using MHD as a topping cycle, a condensable mixture is encountered at temperatures of 2000 to 3000/sup 0/. Condensation of the vaporized slag and seed materials at such a high temperature can take place in the MHD generator channel as well as in the radiant boiler. Similarly, in breeder reactor accident analyses involving hypothetical core disruptive accidents, a UO/sub 2/ vapor mixture at 400/sup 0/K or higher is often considered. Since the saturation temperature of UO/sub 2/ at one atmosphere is close to 4000/sup 0/K, condensation is also likely at a very high temperature. Accordingly, an objective of the present work is to provide an understanding of heat transfer and condensation mechanics insystems containing a high temperature condensable mixture. The results of the study show that, when a high temperature mixture is in contact with a cooler surface, a thermal boundary layer develops rapidly because of intensive radiative cooling from the mixture

Role of fuel bubble phenomenology in assessment of LMFBR source term

Phenomenological aspects of a fuel vapor bubble formed in the sodium pool in a hypothetical severe accident are considered. The potential for fuel bubble collapse in the sodium pool is analyzed. It appears that for a wide range of hypothetical LMFBR accidents involving core vaporization, the fuel vapor bubble would likely be quenched and collapse prior to migration to the cover gas region. Such rapid quenching is due mainly to radiative heat transfer from the fuel bubble, coupled with the inherent capability of the sodium pool (large subcooling and high thermal conductivity) to dissipate thermal energy. Major uncertainty in the analysis concerns fuel vapor condensation phenomena at the sodium interface and its effect on the sodium surface radiation absorptivity. This is discussed in detail

Heat transfer from a high temperature condensable mixture. II. Sedimentation of fog condensate

A kinematic wave analysis of fog sedimentation is employed to relate growth of a fog condensate deposit layer to radiation generated fog formation rates. The increase of surface radiation absorptivity with deposit layer thickness promotes a feedback mechanism for higher growth rates, which is evaluated in detail

Interim waste storage for the Integral Fast Reactor

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR), which Argonne National Laboratory is developing, is an innovative liquid metal breeder reactor that uses metallic fuel and has a close coupled fuel recovery process. A pyrochemical process is used to separate the fission products from the actinide elements. These actinides are used to make new fuel for the reactor. As part of the overall IFR development program, Argonne has refurbished an existing Fuel Cycle Facility at ANL-West and is installing new equipment to demonstrate the remote reprocessing and fabrication of fuel for the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II). During this demonstration the wastes that are produced will be treated and packaged to produce waste forms that would be typical of future commercial operations. These future waste forms would, assuming Argonne development goals are fulfilled, be essentially free of long half-life transuranic isotopes. Promising early results indicate that actinide extraction processes can be developed to strip these isotopes from waste stream and return them to the IFR type reactors for fissioning. 1 fig