Blowout Protection and 2200 Fahrenheit

I've already posted a lot on this matter.

Following is an e-mail I sent to each of the great Commissioners of the NRC on June 10, 2010.

Rescinding the Denial of PRM-50-76

To the Commissioners:

You are urged to direct the NRC staff to promptly write a document for your approval that rescinds the denial of PRM-50-76 that was published in the Federal Register on September 6, 2005 (NRC-2002-0019-00130). The attachment to this e-mail, Rebuttal SECY-05-0113 Leyse R, has Leyse’s rebuttal in 14 point type interspersed within the NRC’s draft notice, SECY-03-0113, dated June 29, 2005.

Rescinding the denial of PRM-50-76 is vital. Under current regulations at 1OCFR50.46(b)(1) and Appendix K to 1OCFR Part 50, our nuclear power plants lack sufficient measures to prevent runaway to meltdown when blowout occurs during a loss-of-coolant accident. The Baker-Just equation does not accurately and conservatively indicate the conditions under which an autocatalytic (runaway) oxidation reaction of Zircaloy begins.

Reference: Appendix K to Part 50--ECCS Evaluation Models

I. Required and Acceptable Features of the Evaluation Models

5. Metal--Water Reaction Rate. The rate of energy release, hydrogen generation, and cladding oxidation from the metal/water reaction shall be calculated using the Baker-Just equation (Baker, L., Just, L.C., "Studies of Metal Water Reactions at High Temperatures, III. Experimental and Theoretical Studies of the Zirconium-Water Reaction," ANL-6548, page 7, May 1962).