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Title: LOFT Monthly Progress Report for July 1980

Abstract

During July, the LOFT test sequence underwent careful review which determined that changes would be appropriate. Evaluation of Tests L3-4 and L6-1 indicated they would not add significantly to the information base available from other experiments; therefore, these tests were cancelled. As shown in the Management Summary Schedule included in this report, the next test to be run is L3-5, scheduled for mid-September. Test L3-5 will be a small-break test in the cold leg side of the operating loop of the plant. Work efforts during July concentrated on plant preparation for the mid-September test. Installation of a new small-break path from the cold leg to the blowdown suppression tank, together with the associated new instrumentation installations, were well underway and on schedule at month's end. The Actual spending rate to date is in agreement with current budgets and authorized funding levels.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1025001
Report Number(s):
L0-MR-008
TRN: US201122%%440
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC07-76ID01570
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; BLOWDOWN; EVALUATION; MANAGEMENT; SCHEDULES; LOFT REACTOR

Citation Formats

N. C. Kaufman. LOFT Monthly Progress Report for July 1980. United States: N. p., 1980. Web. doi:10.2172/1025001.
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N. C. Kaufman. LOFT Monthly Progress Report for July 1980. United States. doi:10.2172/1025001.
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N. C. Kaufman. Fri . "LOFT Monthly Progress Report for July 1980". United States. doi:10.2172/1025001. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1025001.
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@article{osti_1025001,
title = {LOFT Monthly Progress Report for July 1980},
author = {N. C. Kaufman},
abstractNote = {During July, the LOFT test sequence underwent careful review which determined that changes would be appropriate. Evaluation of Tests L3-4 and L6-1 indicated they would not add significantly to the information base available from other experiments; therefore, these tests were cancelled. As shown in the Management Summary Schedule included in this report, the next test to be run is L3-5, scheduled for mid-September. Test L3-5 will be a small-break test in the cold leg side of the operating loop of the plant. Work efforts during July concentrated on plant preparation for the mid-September test. Installation of a new small-break path from the cold leg to the blowdown suppression tank, together with the associated new instrumentation installations, were well underway and on schedule at month's end. The Actual spending rate to date is in agreement with current budgets and authorized funding levels.},
doi = {10.2172/1025001},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980},
month = {Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980}
}
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Technical Report:
View Technical Report (24.31 MB)
DOI:  10.2172/1025001
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  • The fourth nuclear powered small break test (L3-5/5A) was conducted on September 29, 1980. The test was initiated from a steady state operating condition wherein the core was generating heat at a maximum rate of approximately 52 kW/m. The test consisted of two parts: L3-5 simulated a 4-in. pipe break in a commerical pressurized water reactor; the second part, L3-5A, was intended to investigate natural circulation and steam generator heat transfer modes and also plan recovery using secondary system control in a situation where the pipe break and the ECCS accumulator are isolated from the primary coolant system. Initial testmore » data indicated that all systems functioned as expected. The several hundred measurements of system coolant and reactor core conditions made during the three hour duration of the test will continue to be analyzed over the next several months. Preparations were also underway for conduting three tests in the Anticipated Transient Series. These tests, designated L6-1, L6-2, and L6-3 will provide information on plant control systems and operator response to transients in which the initiating event is not a loss-of-primary coolant. The transient tests to be conducted during September and others scheduled in the future will add greatly to understanding responses necessary to a transient condition. September 1980 marked the successful completion of FY-1980. Final closing values for each of the funding sources are included as part of this report. NRC and foreign funded tasks closed FY-1980 with underruns documented by identifying committed and uncommitted carryovers.« less

  • During the month of October, several significant events occurred. Three tests, L6-1, L6-2, and L6-3, in the anticipated transient series were completed. These tests were conducted to provide information on plant control systems and operator responses to transients in which the initiating event was not a loss of primary coolant. These transient tests and others scheduled for the future will add greatly to predicting responses for such transient conditions. On the 16th and 17th of October, LOFT hosted a technology transfer meeting in which representatives from more than sixty power utilities in the United States and several foreign countries participated.more » The purpose of this LOFT/Utility Technology Transfer meeting was to provide an open forum through which utility personnel could become better informed about the LOFT project, its past, present, and future experimental program, and how this program could serve industry needs. Several recommendations for LOFT were made by the utility community; these suggestons are being looked at very closely and correspondence with the utility representatives continues. Members of the ACRS committee met in Idaho Falls during October to review the scope of the LOFT program. General approval of the LOFT program was expressed by the ACRS, and several recommendations were made. Requests were also made for additional briefings when LOFT has further scoped the potentially more severe large break transients. Plant preparations were underway during October for the next LOFT test scheduled for mid-December. This test, designated L3-6, will be another in the small break series, with the break occurring in the intact loop of the cold leg. Budget and actuals are showing good agreement for the first month of FY-81, except for a small underrun in the manpower level which is expected to be corrected in the near future.« less

  • During November major work efforts were directed towards preparation for Test L3-6/L8-1. These tests, to be run in sequence, will evalute the system effects of primary coolant pump operation during a small break LOCA (L3-6), and are to obtain a partial core uncovery to aid in the planning and conduct of future core uncovery experiments (L8-1). Plant modifications in preparation for the December test included installation of a new PC-3 gamma densitometer to measure the density of fluid coming from the steam generator and the installation of the EPRI Liquid Level Detector system to measure levels of fluid during themore » core uncovery experiment. Other key efforts concerned planning for test conduct and safety analysis. On November 6 and 7 the LOFT Review Group met in Idaho Falls to evaluate the activities on LOFT since its last meeting in February. Future test plans, budgets, the man-machine (AOC) program, and various other topics presented by LOFT personnel and consultants were discussed. Several suggestions were presented by those in attendance. These comments were directed to the areas of test scheduling and the kinds of tests to be run as well as how LOFT could better communicate with utilities and vendors to transmit information to the general nuclear power industry. Overall costs are in good agreement with current budgets and authorized funding levels. In the areas of fuel design and analysis, a temporary overrun will be shown for the first few months of the fiscal year. This overrun is due to an Exxon billing received ahead of schedule. A recovery plan has been implemented and actuals are expected to be in agreement with budget by January 1981.« less

  • On December 10, 1980, LOFT conducted its fifth nuclear test in the L3 Series (small break) as well as the first in the L8 Series (core uncovery). The tests, designated L3-6/L8-1, were run in series with each experiment designated to address specific safety questions. Test L3-6 simulated a four-inch break in a commercial pressurized water reactor. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the influence of main coolant pump operation on the quantity of fluid which leaves the system and the quantity of fluid in the reactor core region during the experiment. The results of L3-6 are being comparedmore » with the results of a previous LOFT test, designated L3-5, which was performed on September 29, 1980. On December 9 and 10, a special review group committee, commissioned by the NRC, visited LOFT. The purpose of the committee's presence here was to study and evaluate the LOFT project, and then report recommendations to the NRC. The NRC would then use this information to help determine how the resources of the project could best be utilized, and which kind and how many tests should be conducted over how long a time period. Recommendations of this committee are expected to be announced early in February. The Quick Look Report on experiment L3-6/L8-1, reviewing initial conditions and limited experimental results, was published during the month. More extensive data analysis will continue for the next several months. The current planned LOFT test schedule and target dates were rescheduled in December which resulted in a major budget revision to the baseline. Successful completion and approval is anticapted by mid-January 1981. Overall current costs are in good agreement with budgets and authorized funding levels.« less

  • During January, the LOFT Project focused on preparing for the next small-break experiment. That test, L3-2, is scheduled for February 6. The test will simulate a break size corresponding to a failure in a one-inch pipe for a 1000 MW(e) commercial power plant. It will be the second small break experiment in LOFT to use nuclear heat. Overall costs for January are very close to budget (greater than 1%). The costing rate will require continued close monitoring. The manpower rate is higher than budgeted and the material rate is less than budgeted. Detailed investigation has shown that these are intentionalmore » resource changes, reflecting decisions on the most effective method of work conduct. Thus, they do not indicate a future budget problem.« less