ML19323C495
| ML19323C495 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 04/03/1980 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | John J IRT CORP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19323C496 | List: |
| References | |
| RTR-REGGD-01.007, RTR-REGGD-1.007 NUDOCS 8005160013 | |
| Download: ML19323C495 (1) | |
Text
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APR 3 1980 Dr. Joseph John IRT Corporation 7650 Convoy Court P.O. Box 80817 San Diego, CA 92138
Dear Dr. John:
I am writing in response to your letter to Dr. Hendrie regarding hydrogen production during the accident at Three Mile Island.
I regret that this answer to your letter has been delayed. The accident and its consequences have created a substantial increase in the agency's workload, which has prevented me from responding to you as proinptly as'I would have liked to.
Our estimates show that most of the bubble was produced by the Zr/H O 2
reaction. The reason is that radiolysis of water proceeds by a complex chain reaction and can be prevented, through recombination reactions, by even a small overpressure of hydrogen. Also, whatever contribution radiolysis made to the bubble would have come mainly from irradiation of the liquid water by gamma rays from inside the fuel rods and radiation from dissolved fission products. Radiolysis of water would not be expected to be an important contributor to the bubble produced in the TMI-Unit 2 incident.
Your interest and offer of assistance are deeply appreciated.
Sincerely, A
Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 1
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