We recently studied the burn behavior of a polyurethane (PU) foam-filled impact limiter — a design for both the Mixed-Oxide Fresh Fuel Package and the Hanford Unirradiated Fuel Package (HUFP) that have been certified for shipment of their authorized contents by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy, respectively. In this paper, we examined the mechanisms of thermal degradation of PU foam by reaction type and flame temperature. Evidence suggests that, for an air-tight impact limiter, the pyrolysis reaction dominates initially in the limiter enclosure. The pyrolysis generates a large amount of highly flammable gases, creating the conditions necessary for a subsequent combustion reaction near the vent holes where air is abundant. The coupled heat release from the combustion of these flammable gases and oxygen drives the jet flames to burn at a very high temperature. The three-dimensional finite-element analysis code, ANSYS Mechanical, was used to model the HUFP package (with the PU foam-filled impact limiters) and compute the temperatures near the seal region of the containment boundary of the package. We examined the effects of various parameters — including fire duration, chimney flow, foam thickness loss, and jet flame temperature — on the thermal performance of the package. The results indicate that, under the simulated conditions, the O-ring seal temperature near the packaging containment boundary rose to varying degrees, but it did not exceed the seal temperature limit of 400°F (204°C). The remaining foam thickness is critical to maintain package safety.
Skip Nav Destination
ASME 2009 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference
July 26–30, 2009
Prague, Czech Republic
Conference Sponsors:
- Pressure Vessels and Piping
ISBN:
978-0-7918-4370-3
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Burn Behavior of a Polyurethane Foam Impact Limiter
Shiu-Wing Tam,
Shiu-Wing Tam
Argonne National Labratory, Argonne, IL
Search for other works by this author on:
Yung Y. Liu
Yung Y. Liu
Argonne National Labratory, Argonne, IL
Search for other works by this author on:
Jie Li
Argonne National Labratory, Argonne, IL
Shiu-Wing Tam
Argonne National Labratory, Argonne, IL
Yung Y. Liu
Argonne National Labratory, Argonne, IL
Paper No:
PVP2009-77261, pp. 101-108; 8 pages
Published Online:
July 9, 2010
Citation
Li, J, Tam, S, & Liu, YY. "Burn Behavior of a Polyurethane Foam Impact Limiter." Proceedings of the ASME 2009 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference. Volume 7: Operations, Applications and Components. Prague, Czech Republic. July 26–30, 2009. pp. 101-108. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/PVP2009-77261
Download citation file:
11
Views
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Articles
Free Convection Diffusion Flames With Inert Additives
J. Heat Transfer (November,1982)
Experimental and Mathematical Investigation of Thermochemical Conversion for Horse Manure
J. Energy Resour. Technol (December,2024)
Two-Dimensional Spectroscopic Observation of Nonluminous Flames in a Regenerative Industrial Furnace Using Coal Gas
J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power (January,2004)
Related Chapters
Modeling of SAMG Operator Actions in Level 2 PSA (PSAM-0164)
Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment & Management (PSAM)
Source Term Assessments in PSA Level 2 for the Outage Period (PSAM-0168)
Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment & Management (PSAM)
Insights and Results of the Shutdown PSA for a German SWR 69 Type Reactor (PSAM-0028)
Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment & Management (PSAM)