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U.S. Department of Energy
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Thermal-hydraulic issues in nuclear training

Conference · · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6892640

Thermal-hydraulic phenomena that occur in liquid-cooled nuclear power reactors are a dominant subject addressed by nuclear training programs. The most dramatic illustration of the importance of this training, or conversely the consequences of its absence, was the Three Mile Island accident. During that accident, many personnel, including plant operators and engineers failed to recognize the thermal-hydraulic phenomena that were taking place in the reactor coolant system. This failure can be largely attributed to inadequate training of all personnel in several fundamental thermal-hydraulic phenomena and their importance in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) coolant system. This paper addresses two major areas of consideration: (a) thermal-hydraulic phenomena which must be understood by various personnel in order to operate a nuclear power plant, and (b) thermal-hydraulic modeling, which must be included in real-time simulators used to train personnel. The degree of analytical sophistication involved in each of these training areas is strongly dependent on the training objective and the trainee group that is involved. All training applications, however, require that the symptoms of numerous thermal-hydraulic phenomena be understood.

Research Organization:
Combustion Engineering, Inc.
OSTI ID:
6892640
Report Number(s):
CONF-861102-
Journal Information:
Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States), Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Vol. 53; ISSN TANSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English