Passive safety features of a bottom-supported fast breeder reactor vessel

Journal Article · Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Nuclear Technology; (United States)

OSTI ID:7255184

Endo, H; Kumaoka, Y ^[1]; Golan, S ^[2]; Nakagawa, H ^[3]

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1. Toshiba Corp., 8 Shin-Sugita, Isogo-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 235 (JP)
2. Bechtel Group, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States)
3. Japan Atomic Power Co., Tokyo (Japan)

In this paper a system dynamics analysis is applied to a pool-type fast breeder reactor to examine the influence of a bottom-supported reactor vessel (BSRV) design on anticipated transient without scram (ATWS) events such as an unprotected loss of flow (ULOF), an unprotected loss of heat sink (ULOHS), and an unprotected transient overpower (UTOP) by using the ARGO safety analysis code. The BSRV enhances negative feedback because of the differential displacement between the core and the control rod as compared with a top-supported reactor vessel. In particular, the BSRV has the potential, especially in a mixed-oxide-fueled core, to mitigate the design requirements to prevent boiling of the coolant during an ULOF and ULOHS through the elongation of the primary flow coastdown and enhancement of the axial expansion of the control rod drive line. In the metallic-fueled core, the effects of the BSRV on the ATWS events are diminished by the limitation of the sodium temperature increase.

• OSTI ID: 7255184
• Journal Information: Nuclear Technology; (United States), Vol. 99:3; ISSN 0029-5450
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BREEDER REACTORS
REACTOR VESSELS
FAST REACTORS
POOL TYPE REACTORS
ATWS
DESIGN
FEEDBACK
HEAT SINKS
LOSS OF FLOW
METALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR SAFETY
SODIUM
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TRANSIENT OVERPOWER ACCIDENTS
ACCIDENTS
ALKALI METALS
CONTAINERS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FUELS
MATERIALS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SAFETY
SINKS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
210500 - Power Reactors
Breeding