Assessment of safety-relevant aspects of Kraftwerk Union's 200-MW(thermal) nuclear district heating plant concept

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1987 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5387308

Erlenwein, P; Frisch, W; Kafka, P; Kirmse, R; Langenbuch, S

Nuclear reactors of 200- to 400-MW(thermal) power for district heating are the subject of increasing interest, and several specific designs are under discussion today. In the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), the Kraftwerk Union AG has presented a 200-MW(thermal) heating reactor concept. The main safety issues of this design are assessed. In this design, the primary system is fully integrated into the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), which is tightly enclosed by the containment. The low process parameters like pressure, temperature, and power density and the high ratio of coolant volume to thermal power allow the design of simple safety features. This is supported by the preference of passive over active components. A special feature is a newly designed hydraulic control and rod drive mechanism, which is also integrated into the RPV. Within the safety assessment an overview of the relevant FRG safety rules and guidelines, developed mainly for large, electricity-generating power plants, is given. Included is a discussion of the extent to which these licensing rules can be applied to the concept of heating reactors.

• Research Organization: Gesellschaft fur Reaktorsicherheit mbH, Forschungsgelaende, 8046 Garching (DE)
• OSTI ID: 5387308
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 79:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
HEAT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR SAFETY
RISK ASSESSMENT
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CONTROL ROD DRIVES
DESIGN
DISTRICT HEATING
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
POWER RANGE 100-1000 MW
PRESSURE VESSELS
PRIMARY COOLANT CIRCUITS
REACTOR LICENSING
REACTOR OPERATION
SAFETY STANDARDS
THERMODYNAMICS
CONTAINERS
COOLING SYSTEMS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
EUROPE
HEATING
LICENSING
OPERATION
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTORS
SAFETY
STANDARDS
WESTERN EUROPE
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
210700 - Nuclear Power Plants- Regulation & Licensing
210600 - Power Reactors
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Mobile Package
& Transportable