Safety assessment of the MARS tandem mirror reactor

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1984 · Fusion Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6484779

Guroi, H; Dabiri, A E

The safety of the Mirror Advanced Reactor Study (MARS) tandem mirror reactor is assessed. Only prompt consequences to the public at the plant boundary, which is taken to be 1000m, are considered. The major radioactive inventories in MARS reside in the first-wall/blanket structure, coolant, and tritium. The greatest radioactivity resides in the HT-9 first-wall/ blanket structure. The only accident scenario identified that could lead to a first-wall meltdown was a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) accompanied by the inability to shut off the plasma. However, since only oxides of molybdenum are expected to be volatized from the hot HT-9 structure, the public consequences are found to be low. A LOCA can result in large doses if the activity in the activated corrosion products and LiPb coolant can be transported outside the reactor containment building. However, most of the LiPb would be expected to solidify, and any aerosols that are produced will likely plate out on surfaces or settle. Various tritium accident scenarios were considered. Release of all the tritium in the reactor building (51 g) leads to a dose of 21 rem. A much more likely accident involves partial leakage due to some reactor containment damage.

• Research Organization: Science Applications, Inc., Applied Plasma Physics and Technology Division, La Jolla, California
• OSTI ID: 6484779
• Journal Information: Fusion Technol.; (United States), Vol. 6:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
MARS REACTOR
RADIATION HAZARDS
REACTOR SAFETY
RISK ASSESSMENT
ALLOY-HT-9
FIRST WALL
LOSS OF COOLANT
MELTDOWN
MOLYBDENUM OXIDES
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOACTIVITY TRANSPORT
TRITIUM
ACCIDENTS
ALLOYS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-MOLYBDENUM STEELS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MAGNETIC MIRROR TYPE REACTORS
MOLYBDENUM COMPOUNDS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
SAFETY
STEELS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR WALLS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
700206* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Environmental Aspects