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SASSYS Analyses of ATWS Performance for PRISM MOD B/92

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2325960· OSTI ID:2325960
 [1];  [1]
  1. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

The response of the PRISM Mod 8/92 reactor to various unprotected accidents has been investigated using the SASSYS-1 LMR Systems Analysis Code. The reactor power is 840 MWth, and the reactor core uses the metallic fuel of the IFR concept. The unprotected, i.e., unscrammed, accidents include a loss-of-flow (LOF), a transient overpower (TOP), and a loss-of-heat-sink (LOHS). The unprotected LOF is initiated by the loss-of-offsite power. The results for the unprotected LOF indicate that a large margin to coolant boiling exists throughout the transient, and that there would be no fuel/clad interaction. The use of electromagnetic (EM) pumps allows the flow coastdown to be programmed to provide the best performance. The design also incorporates gas expansion modules (GEMs) at the periphery of the core, which provide substantial negative reactivity feedback during an unprotected LOF. Parametric investigations have been performed to evaluate the effect of varying the flow coastdown characteristics and the contribution of the GEMs to the reactor response for the unprotected LOF. The unprotected TOP is caused either by the withdrawal of a single control rod, or by a gang of rods when control rod stops are utilized to limit control rod motion. The results again show large margins to coolant boiling and no fuel/clad interaction. The unprotected LOHS is caused by the loss of the steam generator heat removal capability. The results show peak temperatures which are not significantly different than steady-state values.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
2325960
Report Number(s):
ANL-IFR--198; 187699
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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