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LMR design to facilitate control

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5428837
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Recent testing in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) has demonstrated the potential for passively accomplishing basic reactor safety functions. Tests have shown that reactor feedbacks can safely shut down the reactor for loss of flow and loss of heat sink accidents and that natural convection can subsequently cool the reactor without aid of active components. Analysis has indicated that passive safety for the transient overpower and loss of coolant events can also be achieved for a larger LMR with metal fuel. The analyses and experiments suggest that there will be both special constraints and opportunities for the design of automatic control and protection systems for inherently safe reactor plants. The constraints are generally a restriction on the control band'' of active components so that they cannot override the reactivity feedbacks, or natural convective heads which otherwise inherently carry out the safety functions. The opportunities for improvement of reactor controls are generally in two areas. First the complexity of safety systems (which evolves from the philosophy of safety reliability through redundancy, diversity and independence) can be reduced. The reliability and diverse nature of passive shutdown, convective heat removal and hydrostatic mitigation of leaks in the primary boundary allow considerable simplification or deletion of active control and protection system, while at the same time improving reliability of the safety functions. 10 refs., 4 figs.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/NE
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
5428837
Report Number(s):
CONF-890673-5; ON: DE90002211
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
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22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
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220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990220 -- Computers
Computerized Models
& Computer Programs-- (1987-1989)
ACCIDENTS
AUTOMATION
BREEDER REACTORS
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DATA ANALYSIS
DESIGN
EBR-2 REACTOR
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FEEDBACK
FLOW REGULATORS
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRAULICS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
LOSS OF COOLANT
MECHANICS
N CODES
POWER DISTRIBUTION
POWER REACTORS
PUMPS
REACTIVITY COEFFICIENTS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CONTROL SYSTEMS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTOR SHUTDOWN
REACTORS
RELIABILITY
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
SAFETY
SCRAM
SHUTDOWN
SIMULATION
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
TESTING
THERMODYNAMICS
TRANSIENTS
VALVES