Towards intrinsically safe light-water reactors
The reactor-safety issue is one of the principal problems threatening the future of the nuclear option, at least in participatory democracies. It has contributed to widespread public distrust and is the direct cause of the escalation in design complexity and quality assurance requirements that are rapidly eroding the competitive advantage of nuclear power. Redesign of the light-water reactor can eliminate those features that leave it open to public distrust and obstructive intervention. This redesign appears feasible within the realm of proven technology in those fields (fuels, materials, water chemistry, waste technology, etc.) in which extended operating experience is essential for confidence in system performance. A pressurized water reactor outline design developed to achieve the above goal is presented. The key feature is the design of the primary system extracting heat from the core so that the latter is protected from damage caused by any credible system failure or any destructive intervention from the outside by either violent means (up to and including nonnuclear warfare) or by mistaken or malicious use of the plant control systems. Such a design objective can be achieved by placing the entire primary circulation system in a large pressurized pool of cold water with a high boric acid content. Enough water is provided in the pool to allow core-decay-heat removal by evaporation for at least one week following any incident with no cooling systems operating. Subsequently it is assumed that a supply of further water (a few cubic meters per hour) from the outside can be arranged, even without the presence of the plant operating personnel.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76OR00033
- OSTI ID:
- 6363616
- Report Number(s):
- ORAU/IEA-83-2(M); ON: DE83008191; TRN: 83-010421
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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