THE MERITS OF INHERENT SHUTDOWN VS MECHANICAL SHUTDOWN OF A PLATETYPE, WATER-MODERATED AND -REFLECTED REACTOR IN A RUNAWAY CONDITION

Technical Report · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1961

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4815306· OSTI ID:4815306

Bentzen, F. L.

A small stainless-steel, plate-type, water-moderated reactor is subjected to large reactivity insertions in a study of the effectiveness of a fast safety system as compared with the self-shutdown characteristics of the reactor. The effectiveness of the mechanical safety system in controlling a reactor in a runaway condition is shown to be adequately described by the postulation of an effective delay time, which can be considered to be constant for all periods. The delay is comprised of the electronic release time and the time required for the rods to reach an effective position in teh core. In the system tested, the short effective delay time of 30 msec prevents reactor damage to periods as short as a few milliseconds. It is also shown that for safety systems with longer effective delay times, the ability of the reactor to cope with large reactivity insertions is determined by the inherent shutdown characteristics of the reactor and not by the mechanical system. (auth)

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum Co. Atomic Energy Div., Idaho Falls, Idaho
• DOE Contract Number: AT(10-1)-205
• NSA Number: NSA-16-003831
• OSTI ID: 4815306
• Report Number(s): IDO-16722
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACCIDENTS
BOILING
BUBBLES
CALIFORNIA
CONFERENCE
CONFIGURATION
CONTROL ELEMENTS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EXCURSIONS
MODERATORS
MONITORING
MOTION
NEUTRON FLUX
PLATES
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
REFLECTORS
RODS
SENSITIVITY
SERVOMECHANISMS
SHUTDOWN
SIGNALS
STABILITY
STAINLESS STEELS
TEMPERATURE
TESTING
TRANSIENTS
WATER MODERATOR