Abstract
Vapor explosion phenomena and recent experimental studies on the microscopic mechanism of them are described.
The vapor explosion accidents in metal and pulp industries are reviewed. The explosions occurred in the SL-1 reactor and the Chernobyl power reactor station are also said as the vapor explosion. The experimental results are summarized and the necessitive four stages for the occurrence of a large scale vapor explosion are shown. The spontaneous nucleation theory and the thermal detonation theory, which are the typical models of the vapor explosion, are explained.
Vapor explosion experiments using single drops of molten LiNO3 submerged in ethyl alcohol are described. High-speed films of explosion configuration are compared with the induced pressure traces and the pressure is found to be the control factor of the phenomena. The propagation stage, which is important for a large scale vapor explosion, is photographed in plural drops experiments. A qualitative model of vapor explosion is presented.
