On the fundamental microinteractions that support the propagation of steam explosions

Abstract This paper makes available the first experimental data on the fragmentation kinetics of hot liquid drops in another liquid (coolant) under the influence of sustained pressure pulses. We observe the effect of “thermal” on “hydrodynamic” fragmentation and micromixing mechanisms, as deduced by the rates and morphology of the resulting particle “cloud”. We show how propagation can be quantified within the framework of a numerical model, and on this basis some interesting interpretations of an experimentally-observed triggered “detonation” in the KROTOS facility (in ISPRA) are offered.