Calculation of failure importance measures of basic events and plant systems in nuclear power plants

Technical Report · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5535119

Wheeler, T A; Spulak, Jr, R G

This is a report on the project ''Determination of Event Sequnces Contributing to Overall Frequency of Core Melt.'' It is an analysis of thirteen existing probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs) covering fifteen power plants. The object of this project is to identify the plant systems and system components which contribute most to the overall core melt frequency and to some measure of risk. The results of this analysis are grouped into the two major types of commercial reactors, Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs), and Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). Within each type of reactor, plants are grouped by manufacturer. The results are first analyzed on a plant by plant basis. Then, the results are discussed for all plants within each plant manufacturer type to study any interrelationships or common trends which might exist among plants built by the same manufacturer. The results are then discussed among all PWRs and all BWRs. The methodology developed for this analysis is based on dominant accident sequence cut sets comprised of system component level basic events. Only those accident sequences contributing five percent or more to the total core melt frequency or risk measure are considered as dominant in this analysis. These cut sets are taken directly from those PRAs which publish sequence cut sets. For those PRAs which did not include such logic models of the accident sequences, cut sets are taken from simplified fault trees developed from the sequence and system descriptions in the PRAs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5535119
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-3495; SAND-83-0329; ON: TI88004739
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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