Populus euramericana is emerging as a viable feedstock for producing bioethanol from renewable resources. Steam explosion pretreatment of P. euramericana can solubilize a significant portion of the hemicellulosic component and enhance the glucose conversion of the remaining cellulose for fermentation into ethanol. In this study, steam explosion condition of P. euramericana is performed in a steam explosion reactor at severity log Ro 4.02 and severity log Ro 4.37. Glucose conversion varied from 72.3% to 80.1% of steam exploded P. euramericana at severity log Ro 4.02 and severity log Ro 4.37. Ethanol yields(%) based on sugar content after enzymatic hydrolysis after 48 h fermentation ranged from 87.0% to 88.4%. As a result, from 100 g of raw material, 14.0 g of ethanol are recovered of 47.3 g available cellulose content. This research of steam explosion pretreatment was a promising method to improve glucose conversion and ethanol yield for bioethanol production.

The ex-vessel steam explosion may occur when, during a severe reactor accident, the molten core pours into the water in the reactor cavity. These dynamic loads on the cavity wall could potentially lead to the significant failure of the cavity wall. But the phenomenon like this steam explosion includes big uncertainty in estimating the impulsive pressure loading of RCB. In this study, risk based integrity assessment method of the NPP structure subjected to steam explosion load was suggested to capture these uncertainties involved during the structural integrity assessment of the Nuclear power plant.