ML19220C768
| ML19220C768 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 04/04/1979 |
| From: | Kramish A R&D ASSOCIATES |
| To: | Gilinsky V NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7905140254 | |
| Download: ML19220C768 (2) | |
Text
,* W i
e EN R & D ASSOCIATES
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1401 witsen Blvd. - Suite 500 7
Arlingmn. Virginia 22209 (703) L22-5400 t
1 April 4, 1979 Dr. Victor Gilinsky Commissioner Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.
C.
20555
Dear Victor:
Judging from press reports, there seems to be some mystery in the amount of hydrogen produced at Three Mile Island.
Apparently amounts were created in excess of those which are usually created in reactors through radiolysis and possibly through the endothermic reaction:
3Fe + 4H O
> Fe3 4 + 4H2 (300 C) 0 2
Quite possibly, at the elevated temperatures which damaged the fuel rods, this and other thermochemical reactions would have been enhanced and new conditions were created for other endothermic reactions which occur near the 1000 C scale of temperatures.
Some of these, notably the so-called 'spra cycles, involve halide compounds.
Those involving ior.ne postulate the creation of HI in an intermediate step, then: 2 H I-> I2+H2-Thus, fission-product iodine in an exceptionally elevated temperature environment might have contributed to the creation of substantial amounts of hydrogen.
An article by Walter Sullivan in Sunday's New York Times indicates that the external dosages of iodine 131 were rather low.
Mel Levine of Brookhaven postulated that the iodine may have condenead, largely, rather than escaped.
If the initially created iodine had participated in a thermochemical reaction, its condensation within the containment would have been abetted or much of it may not have come out of solution.
7 00514 0d-10f> 200 0
Dr. Victor Gilinsky April 4, 1979 Ordinary thernochemical processes might be catalalyzed or modified by reactor materials, other fission products, and by radiation.
I would suggest these hypotheses warrant examination, not only to understand the creation of the hydrogen bubble but to see if a chemical inhibitor night be added to the regular coolant and/cr the ECCS coolant to minimize potential hydrogen production in other reactors.
Since rely
.' t
/
cA rnold Kramish AK: psi 106 231 Jd