Loss-of-coolant accident experiment at the AVR gas-cooled reactor

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5655096

Cleveland, J; Krueger, K ^[1]

---

1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

Loss-of-coolant is one of the most severe accidents for a nuclear power plant. To demonstrate inherent safety characteristics incorporated into small High-Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR) designs, loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) simulation tests have been conducted with the German pebble-bed High-Temperature Reactor AVR. The AVR is the only nuclear power plant ever to have been intentionally subjected to LOCA conditions. The LOCA test was planned to create conditions that would exist if a rapid LOCA occurred with the reactor operating at full power. The tests demonstrated this reactor's safe response to an accident in which the coolant escapes from the reactor core and no emergency system is available to provide coolant flow to the core. The test is of special interest because it demonstrates the inherent safety features incorporated into modular HTGR designs. The main LOCA test lasted for 5 d. After the test began, core temperatures increased for {approximately}13 h and then gradually and continually decreased as the rate of heat dissipation from the core exceeded accident levels of decay power. Throughout the test, temperatures remained below limiting values for the core and other reactor components. 3 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/NE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5655096
• Report Number(s): CONF-891140-1; ON: DE89013579
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210300 -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Graphite Moderated
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
AVR REACTOR
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EXPERIMENT PLANNING
FLUID MECHANICS
GAS COOLED REACTORS
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
HEAT TRANSFER
HELIUM COOLED REACTORS
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
HTGR TYPE REACTORS
HYDRAULICS
LOSS OF COOLANT
MECHANICS
PEBBLE BED REACTORS
PLANNING
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SAFETY
SOLID HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
TESTING
THERMAL REACTORS
THORIUM REACTORS