Hydrogen deflagrations and diffusion flames

The Hydrogen Behavior Research Program at Sandia National Laboratories is concerned with the assessment of the threat posed by hydrogen combustion in a nuclear power plant containment. A part of this program addresses the behavior and characteristics of both ordinary deflagrations and diffusion flames, thought to be the most likely modes of combustion during a reactor accident. This paper describes the experimental and modeling work in these areas and reviews the status of the HECTR code.