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In-Vessel Retention - Recent Efforts and Future Needs [electronic resource].

Published:
Washington, D.C. : United States. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, 2004.
Oak Ridge, Tenn. : Distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy.
Additional Creators:
Idaho National Laboratory, United States. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, and United States. Department of Energy. Office of Scientific and Technical Information
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Summary:
In-vessel retention (IVR) of core melt is a key severe accident management strategy adopted by some operating nuclear power plants and proposed for some advanced light water reactors (ALWRs). If there were inadequate cooling during a reactor accident, a significant amount of core material could become molten and relocate to the lower head of the reactor vessel, as happened in the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) accident. If it is possible to ensure that the vessel head remains intact so that relocated core materials are retained within the vessel, the enhanced safety associated with these plants can reduce concerns about containment failure and associated risk. However, it is not clear that the external reactor vessel cooling (ERVC) proposed for existing and some advanced reactors would provide sufficient heat removal for higher-power reactors (up to 1400 MWe) without additional enhancements. This paper summarizes recent efforts to enhance IVR and identifies additional needs to demonstrate that there is sufficient margin for successful IVR in high power reactors.
Report Numbers:
E 1.99:ineel/con-04-01887
ineel/con-04-01887
Subject(s):
Other Subject(s):
Note:
Published through SciTech Connect.
10/01/2004.
"ineel/con-04-01887"
6th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics, Operations and Safety,Nara, Japan,10/04/2004,10/08/2004.
J. L. Rempe.
Funding Information:
DE-AC07-99ID-13727
View MARC record | catkey: 14362782