Potential for containment leak paths through electrical penetration assemblies under severe accident conditions. [PWR; BWR]

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5912003· OSTI ID:5912003

The leakage behavior of containments beyond design conditions and knowledge of failure modes is required for evaluation of mitigation strategies for severe accidents, risk studies, emergency preparedness planning, and siting. These studies are directed towards assessing the risk and consequences of severe accidents. An accident sequence analysis conducted on a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR), Mark I (MK I), indicated very high temperatures in the dry-well region, which is the location of the majority of electrical penetration assemblies. Because of the high temperatures, it was postulated in the ORNL study that the sealants would fail and all the electrical penetration assemblies would leak before structural failure would occur. Since other containments had similar electrical penetration assemblies, it was concluded that all containments would experience the same type of failure. The results of this study, however, show that this conclusion does not hold for PWRs because in the worst accident sequence, the long time containment gases stabilize to 350/sup 0/F. BWRs, on the other hand, do experience high dry-well temperatures and have a higher potential for leakage.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5912003
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-3234; SAND-83-0538; ON: DE83017028
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CONTAINMENT BUILDINGS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
SEALS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
FAILURES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
REACTOR SAFETY
THERMAL STRESSES
ACCIDENTS
CONTAINMENT
EQUIPMENT
REACTORS
SAFETY
STRESSES
TESTING
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
210100 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
210200 - Power Reactors
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