Station blackout transient at the Browns Ferry Unit 1 Plant: a severe accident sequence analysis (SASA) program study

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6546018

Schultz, R R

Operating plant transients are of great interest for many reasons, not the least of which is the potential for a mild transient to degenerate to a severe transient yielding core damage. Using the Browns Ferry (BF) Unit-1 plant as a basis of study, the station blackout sequence was investigated by the Severe Accident Sequence Analysis (SASA) Program in support of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Unresolved Safety Issue A-44: Station Blackout. A station blackout transient occurs when the plant's AC power from a comemrcial power grid is lost and cannot be restored by the diesel generators. Under normal operating conditions, f a loss of offsite power (LOSP) occurs (i.e., a complete severance of the BF plants from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) power grid), the eight diesel generators at the three BF units would quickly start and power the emergency AC buses. Of the eight diesel generators, only six are needed to safely shut down all three units. Examination of BF-specific data show that LOSP frequency is low at Unit 1. The station blackout frequency is even lower (5.7 x 10/sup -4/ events per year) and hinges on whether the diesel generators start. The frequency of diesel generator failure is dictated in large measure by the emergency equipment cooling water (EECW) system that cools the diesel generators.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 6546018
• Report Number(s): EGG-M-20582; CONF-821037-64; ON: DE83003728
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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BLACKOUTS
BROWNS FERRY-1 REACTOR
BWR TYPE REACTORS
DIESEL ENGINES
ELECTRIC GENERATORS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENGINES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EQUIPMENT
FAILURES
HEAT ENGINES
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
MIXED SPECTRUM REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
POWER SUPPLIES
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
RELIABILITY
SAFETY
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS