Closing the accident gap-the new DBA source term

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:6959794

Metcalf, J ^[1]

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1. Stone Webster Engineering Corp., Boston, MA (United States)

The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of a new design-basis accident (DBA) source term in the design certification of an advanced light water reactor (ABB-CE System 80[sup +]), and to comment on the applicability of this work to operating plants. The DBAs are postulated so that systems can be incorporated into the plant design with known capability to protect the health and safety of the public under accident conditions. Because no one accident will challenge equally all of the safety systems in the plant, there are several DBAs considered. For example, the most limiting loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA) break size and location for emergency core cooling system (ECCS) performance evaluation may not be the most limiting LOCA for the design of the containment systems; therefore, different DBAs are postulated for the ECCS and containment. In addition, probabilistic risk assessments (PRAS) performed as required for design certification or as required for the operating plants [individual plant examinations (IPEs)] take under consideration accidents that are potentially even more severe than the DBAs (so-called [open quotes]severe accidents[close quotes]). Although severe accidents have not been addressed in the safety analysis reports of operating plants, many of today's operating plants have considered the impact of severe accidents in the environment reports.

• OSTI ID: 6959794
• Report Number(s): CONF-931160--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 69
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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