Vapor explosions: Prediction of a critical liquid–corium velocity in vapor destabilization mechanism of corium melt in the fuel–coolant interactions – FCI

In this paper, utilizing a simplified physical model an analytical expression for the prediction of most probable corium fragment size as function of relative velocity corium–coolant is derived. Combining this equation with the available experimental data an important consequence for the nuclear safety result: the existence of a critical velocity corium–coolant which maximizes the destabilization of film boiling when an external pressure wave is supplied.