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Title: Responses to Small Break Loss of Coolant Accidents for SMART

Conference ·
OSTI ID:21160676
; ; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), 150, Deokjin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-353 (Korea, Republic of)
  2. Seoul National University (SNU) San 56-1, Sillim-dong, Kwanak-gu, Seoul, Korea 151-742 (Korea, Republic of)

The SMART NSSS adopts the design characteristics of containing most of the primary circuit components, such as the reactor core, main coolant pumps (MCPs), steam generators (SGs), and N{sub 2} gas pressurizer (PZR) in a single leak-tight Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) with a relatively large ratio of the primary coolant inventory to the core power compared to the conventional loop-type PWR. Due to these design characteristics, the SMART can fundamentally eliminate the possibility of Large Break Loss of Coolant Accidents (LBLOCAs), improve the natural circulation capability, and assure a sufficient time to mitigate the possibility of core uncover. Also, SMART adopts inherent safety improving features and passive engineered safety systems such as the substantially large negative moderator temperature coefficients, passive residual heat removal system, emergency core cooling system, and a steel-made leak-tight Safeguard Vessel (SV) housing the RPV. This paper presents the results of the safety analyses using a MARS/SMR code for the instantaneous guillotine ruptures of the major pipelines penetrating the RPV. The analysis results, employing conservative initial/boundary conditions and assumptions, show that the safety systems of the SMART basic design adequately remove the core decay heat without causing core uncover for all the cases of the Small Break Loss of Coolant Accidents (SBLOCAs). The sensitivity study results with variable SV conditions show that the reduced SV net free volume can shorten the time for reaching the thermal and mechanical equilibrium condition between the RPV and SV. Under these boundary conditions, the primary system inventory loss can be minimized and the core remains covered for a longer period of time without any makeup of the coolant. (authors)

Research Organization:
American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
OSTI ID:
21160676
Resource Relation:
Conference: ICAPP'04: 2004 international congress on advances in nuclear power plants, Pittsburgh, PA (United States), 13-17 Jun 2004; Other Information: Country of input: France; 7 refs; Related Information: In: Proceedings of the 2004 international congress on advances in nuclear power plants - ICAPP'04, 2338 pages.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English