Depressurization to mitigate direct containment heating
Direct containment heating (DCH) can potentially occur during certain pressurized water reactor (PWR) severe accidents after core melt and high-pressure melt ejection from the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). Molten core material is dispersed into the containment and a rapid transfer of energy to the containment atmosphere follows. The resultant rise in the temperature and pressure could cause the containment to fail relatively early in the accident sequence. Depressurization of the reactor coolant system (RCS) is a proposed accident management strategy to reduce the DCH contribution to early containment failure. An analysis evaluating the effectiveness of this strategy has been conducted. The capability to depressurize a three-loop PWR during a TMLB' sequence (loss of alternating current power and feedwater) using the pressurizer power-operated relief valves (PORVs) and the RPV head vent was analyzed using the SCDAP/RELAP5 computer code.
- OSTI ID:
- 5655220
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-881011--
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA) Vol. 57; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
COMPUTER CODES
CONTAINERS
CONTAINMENT
CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS
COOLING SYSTEMS
DEPRESSURIZATION
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
FLUID MECHANICS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRAULICS
LOSS OF COOLANT
MECHANICS
MELTDOWN
MITIGATION
PRESSURE VESSELS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
R CODES
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
S CODES
SAFETY
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS