Phenomenological Modeling of the Triggering Phase of Small-Scale Steam Explosion Experiments

Abstract

During the past few years, over 300 small-scale experiments have been performed by Nelson at Sandia National Laboratories, investigating the triggering of steam explosions over a variety of initial conditions. The primary purpose of this paper is to present the results of phenomenological modeling and analyses that may explain the experimental observations. These three major conclusions are suggested by the analysis.