Air systems and their impact upon nuclear safety
Conference
·
· Proceedings of the American Power Conference; (USA)
OSTI ID:6968145
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data,Washington,D.C. (US)
Many U.S. light water reactors (LWRs) rely upon air systems to actuate or control safety-related equipment during normal operation. However, at most LWRs the air systems themselves are not classified as safety systems. Plant safety analyses typically assume that nonsafety-related air systems become inoperable during transients and accidents, and that the air--operated equipment which is served fails in known, predictable modes (e.g., fails open, fails closed). In addition, air-operated equipment which must function during transients or accidents are provided with a backup air (or nitrogen) supply in the form of safety grade accumulators to ensure that the equipment can continue to perform its intended functions. American and foreign nuclear power plant operating experience shows that contrary to the aforementioned licensing assumption, air systems can have a very significant role in nuclear safety. This paper cites dozens of safety significant events that have occurred at U.S. nuclear power plants which were caused or exacerbated by air systems problems; the most well-known event was the Three Mile Island 2 accident.
- OSTI ID:
- 6968145
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-880403--
- Conference Information:
- Journal Name: Proceedings of the American Power Conference; (USA) Journal Volume: 50
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
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Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
210700 -- Nuclear Power Plants-- Regulation & Licensing
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220400 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Control Systems
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
AIR FLOW
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FLUID FLOW
GAS FLOW
LICENSING
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
POWER PLANTS
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR MONITORING SYSTEMS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SAFETY
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMAL REACTORS
THREE MILE ISLAND-2 REACTOR
USA
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS