• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.8
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• pp.1847-1861
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• 2020

A design study was performed to improve the limit aseismic performance (LSP) of a primary heat transport system (PHTS) pump. This pump is part of the primary equipment of a prototype generation IV sodium-cooled fast reactor (PGSFR). The LSP is the maximum allowable seismic load that still ensures structural integrity. To calculate the LSP of the PHTS pump, a structural analysis model of the pump was developed and its dynamic characteristics were obtained by modal analysis. The floor response spectrum (FRS) initiated from a safety shutdown earthquake (SSE), 0.3 g, was applied to the support points of the PHTS pump, and then the seismic induced stresses were calculated. The structural integrity was evaluated according to the ASME code, and the LSP of the PHTS pump was calculated from the evaluation results. Based on the results of the modal analysis and LSP of the PHTS pump, design parameters affecting the LSP were selected. Then, ways to improve the LSP were proposed from sensitivity analysis of the selected design variables.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2020

This study aims to develop and advance the evaluation technology for assessing PHWR safety. For this purpose, the complete loss of AC power or station blackout (SBO) was selected as a target accident scenario and the analysis model to evaluate the plant responses was envisioned into the MARS-KS input model. The model includes the main features of the primary heat transport system with a simplified model for the horizontal fuel channels, the secondary heat transport system including the shell side of steam generators, feedwater and main steam line, and moderator system. A steady state condition was achieved successfully by running the present model to check out the stable convergence of the key parameters. Subsequently, through the SBO transient analyses two cases with and without the coolant leakage via the PHTS pumps were simulated and the behaviors of the major parameters were compared. The sensitivity analysis on the amount of the coolant leakage by varying its flow area was also performed to investigate the effect on the system responses. It is expected that the results of the present study will contribute to upgrading the evaluation technology of the detailed thermal hydraulic analysis on the SBO transient of the operating PHWRs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05b
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• pp.435-440
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• 1996

Large Loss-of-Coolant Accidents analyzed in Final Safety Analysis Reports are usually covered by Reactor Inlet Header. Reactor Outlet Header and Primary Pump Suction breaks as representative cases. In this study we analyze the total (guillotine) break of an Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) pipe located at the ECCS injection point into the Primary Heat Transport System (PHTS). It was expected that thermal-hydraulic behaviors in the PHT and ECC systems are different from those of a Reactor Inlet Header break, having an equivalent break size. The main purpose of this study is to get insights on the differences occurred between the two cases and to assess these differences from the phenomenon behavior point of view. It was also investigated whether the ECCS line break analysis results could be covered by header break analysis results. The study reveals that as the intact loop has almost the same behavior in both analyzed cases. broken loop behavior is different mostly regarding sheath temperature in the critical core pass and pressure decrease in the broken Reactor Inlet Header. Differences are also met in the ECCS behavior and in event sequences timings.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.3236-3246
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• 2021

Lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident directed that multiple failures should be considered more seriously rather than single failure in the licensing bases and safety cases because attempts to take accident management measures could be unsuccessful under the high radiation environment aggravated by multiple failures, such as complete loss of electric power, uncontrollable loss of coolant inventory, failure of essential safety function recovery. In the case of the complete loss of electric power called station blackout (SBO), if there is no mitigation action for recovering safety functions, the reactor core would be overheated, and severe fuel damage could be anticipated due to the failure of the active heat sink. In such a transient condition at CANDU-6 plants, the seal failure of the primary heat transport (PHT) pumps can facilitate a consequent increase in the fuel sheath temperature and eventually lead to degradation of the fuel integrity. Therefore, it is necessary to specify the regulatory guidelines for multiple failures on a licensing basis so that licensees should prepare the accident management measures to prevent or mitigate accident conditions. In order to explore the efficiency of implementing accident management strategies for CANDU-6 plants, this study proposed a realistic accident analysis approach on the SBO transient with multiple-failure sequences such as seal failure of PHT pumps without operator's recovery actions. In this regard, a comparative study for two PHT pump seal failure modes with and without coolant seal leakage was conducted using a best-estimate code to precisely investigate the behaviors of thermal-hydraulic parameters during transient conditions. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis for different PHT pump seal leakage rates was also carried out to examine the effect of leakage rate on the system responses. This study is expected to provide the technical bases to the accident management strategy for unmitigated transient conditions with multiple failures.