Study on Hydrogen Combustion Flame Acceleration Mechanism and Prediction Method During Severe Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants

Ran Liu, Jingyi Yu, Xiaoming Yang (), Yong Liu (), Rubing Ma and Yidan Yuan
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Ran Liu: CNNC Key Laboratory for Severe Accident in Nuclear Power Safety, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., Beijing 100840, China
Jingyi Yu: CNNC Key Laboratory for Severe Accident in Nuclear Power Safety, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., Beijing 100840, China
Xiaoming Yang: CNNC Key Laboratory for Severe Accident in Nuclear Power Safety, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., Beijing 100840, China
Yong Liu: College of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
Rubing Ma: CNNC Key Laboratory for Severe Accident in Nuclear Power Safety, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., Beijing 100840, China
Yidan Yuan: CNNC Key Laboratory for Severe Accident in Nuclear Power Safety, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., Beijing 100840, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: Combustion caused by hydrogen-dominated combustible gas mixtures presents critical threats to nuclear safety during severe accidents in nuclear power plants, primarily due to their propensity for flame acceleration, deflagration, and subsequent detonation. Although the direct initiation of detonation from localized hydrogen accumulation at critical concentrations remains challenging, flame acceleration can induce rapid pressure escalation and lead to deflagration-to-detonation transition under suitable conditions. The ultra-high-pressure loads generated almost instantaneously will pose serious risks to containment integrity and equipment or instrument functionality within nuclear facilities. This paper investigates the flame acceleration mechanism and criterion, which is crucial for precise hydrogen risk assessment. A hydrogen combustion flame acceleration model is developed, integrating both laminar and turbulent flame propagation across multiple control volumes. Validated against the RUT test, the model demonstrates high fidelity with a maximum 3.17% deviation in flame propagation velocity and successfully captures the pressure discontinuity. The developed model enables comprehensive simulation with improved predictive accuracy of the flame acceleration process, making it an essential tool for advancing fundamental understanding of hydrogen behavior and severe accident analysis. This model’s development marks a paradigm in nuclear safety research by providing an analytical instrument for integrated severe accident programs in nuclear power plants, contributing to improving the potential hydrogen risks assessment and management in next-generation reactor safety.

Keywords: severe accident; combustion; flame acceleration; deflagration; detonation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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