Numerical analysis for FP speciation in VERDON-2 experiment: Chemical re-vaporization of iodine in air ingress condition

Abstract

In the late phase of severe accident in light water reactor nuclear power station, re-mobilization of fission products (FPs) has a significant impact on the source term because most portion of FPs is retained in reactor coolant system and/or containment vessel. Recently, VERDON-2 experiment showed noticeable re-vaporization, which was one of the re-mobilization phenomena, of iodine under air ingress condition, but this mechanism has not been identified yet. The present study numerically investigated the FPs behaviors in VERDON-2 experiment with the mechanistic FPs transport analysis code incorporating thermodynamic chemical equilibrium model in order to further understand nature for FPs behavior, especially iodine re-vaporization under air ingress condition. Consequently, this analysis reproduced the deposition profile of cesium, one of important FPs in the source term, along the thermal gradient tube (TGT) in the experiment, which revealed that cesium was transported as CsOH in early phase of FP release from fuel, and then formed Cs2MoO4 and Cs2Te after the release of molybdenum and tellurium was activated. Regarding iodine as another important FP, formation of CsI was predicted in steam condition. The CsI was transported and partly deposited and condensed onto the TGTs and other components of the VERDON facility. Under the air ingress condition, the present analysis showed the agreement for iodine re-vaporization in the experiment and revealed its mechanism; the deposits of iodide were chemical re-vaporized as molecular iodine (I2) gas by redox reaction with competitive elements such as molybdenum, chromium and tellurium.