Towards intrinsically safe light-water reactors
Most of the present impediments to the rational use of the nuclear option have their roots in the reactor safety issue. The approach taken to satisfy the escalating safety concerns has resulted in excessively complex and expensive plant designs but has failed to create public confidence. This paper describes a new approach based on the principle of Process Inherent Ultimate Safety (PIUS). With the PIUS principle, ultimate safety is obtained by guaranteeing core integrity under all credible conditions. This is accomplished on the basis of the laws of gravity and thermohydraulics alone, interacting with the heat extraction process in an intact or damaged primary circuit, without recourse to engineered safety systems that may fail or dependence on error-prone human intervention. Application of the PIUS principle to the pressurized water reactor involves a substantial redesign of the reactor and primary system but builds on established PWR technology where long-term operation is needed for verification.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge Associated Univ., Oak Ridge, TN (United States); ASEA-ATOM AB, Vaesteraas (Sweden)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76OR00033
- OSTI ID:
- 5723960
- Report Number(s):
- ORAU/IEA-83-2(M)-Rev.; ON: DE83017859
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Towards intrinsically safe light-water reactors
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21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
AFTER-HEAT REMOVAL
HEAT TRANSFER
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DESIGN
MODIFICATIONS
REACTOR SAFETY
ACCIDENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
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REMOVAL
SAFETY
WATER COOLED REACTORS
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220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
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Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
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