Iris small break loca phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT)

The international reactor innovative and secure (IRIS) is a modular pressurized water reactor with an integral configuration (all primary system components – reactor core, internals, pumps, steam generators, pressurizer, and control rod drive mechanisms – are inside the reactor vessel). The IRIS plant conceptual design was completed in 2001 and the preliminary design is currently underway. The pre-application licensing process with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) started in October 2002.The first line of defense in IRIS is to eliminate event initiators that could potentially lead to core damage. If it is not possible to eliminate certain accidents altogether, then the design inherently reduces their consequences and/or decreases their probability of occurring. One of the most obvious advantages of the IRIS Safety-by-Design™ approach is the elimination of large break loss-of-coolant accidents (LBLOCAs), since no large primary penetrations of the reactor vessel or large loop piping exist.While the IRIS Safety-by-Design™ approach is a logical step in the effort to produce advanced reactors, the desired advances in safety must still be demonstrated in the licensing arena. With the elimination of LBLOCA, an important next consideration is to show the IRIS design fulfills the promise of increased safety also for small break LOCAs (SBLOCAs). Accordingly, the SBLOCA phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) project was established. The primary objective of the IRIS SBLOCA PIRT project was to identify the relative importance of phenomena in the IRIS response to SBLOCAs. This relative importance, coupled with the current relative state of knowledge for the phenomena, provides a framework for the planning of the continued experimental and analytical efforts.To satisfy the SBLOCA PIRT project objectives, Westinghouse organized an expert panel whose members were carefully selected to insure that the PIRT results reflect internationally recognized experience in reactor safety analysis, and were not biased by program preconceptions internal to the IRIS program.The SBLOCA PIRT Panel concluded that continued experimental data and analytical tool development in the following areas, in decreasing level of significance, are perceived as important with respect to satisfying the safety analysis and licensing objectives of the IRIS program: (1) steam generator; (2) pressure suppression system, containment dry well and their interactions; (3) emergency heat removal system; (4) core, long-term gravity makeup system, automatic depressurization system, and pressurizer; (5) direct vessel injection system and reactor vessel cavity.     

Analysis of pressurizer level control system using MAAP4 code

The code initialization effort has been troubling code users for decades for system transient and severe accident analyses using codes such as RETRAN, MAAP4, MAAP5 and MELCOR. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate an approach that could be considered a generic method to address the code initialization problem. This was demonstrated by developing a pressurizer level control model and temperature dependent level control logic in MAAP4 without re-compiling with the source code. The method would enhance the simulation capability and accuracy of a severe accident analysis by transient and severe accident analyses codes. The demonstration case used MAAP4 to show that the adopted proportional-integral controller with the temperature dependent level control logic would reduce its code steady state errors to zero. The subsequent transient response would become more realistic. The proposed method provides a convenient and exemplified approach for code initialization which is applicable to the next generation of codes that couple with the balance of plant models. These codes include the MAAP5 code and others future codes that could simulate the whole plant by a single and elaborate plant model with exhausting component and phenomenological models.     

Modeling pressure suppression pool hydrodynamics in the ABWR containment

This paper focuses on the assessment of pressure suppression pool hydrodynamics in the advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) containment under design-basis, loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) conditions. The paper presents a mechanistic model for predicting various suppression pool hydrodynamics parameters. A phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) applicable to the ABWR containment pool hydrodynamics analysis is used as a basis for the development of the model. The highly ranked phenomena are represented by analytic equations or empirical correlations. The best estimate and several sensitivity calculations are performed for the ABWR containment using this model. Results of the sensitivity calculations are also presented that demonstrate the influence of key model parameters and assumptions on the pool hydrodynamics parameters. A comparison of model predictions to the results of the licensing analyses shows reasonable agreement. Comparison of the results of the proposed model to experimental data shows that the model predicted top vent clearance time, the pool swell height, and the bubble breakthrough elevation are within 10% of the data. The predicted pool surface velocity and the liquid slug thickness are within 30% of the measurements, which is considered adequate given the large uncertainties in the experimental measurements.     

安全壳卸压排放过程模化分析

针对大型非能动先进压水堆安全壳卸压排放过程中涉及的重要热工现象，采用系统性的关键现象识别及重要性分析方法，得到了大型非能动先进压水堆卸压排放过程中的现象过程识别与排序表（PIRT）。结果表明：排放管线及鼓泡器中对安全壳卸压排放过程影响程度较高的现象为临界和摩擦流、两相压降、几何尺寸及流动状态；乏燃料水池中对安全壳卸压排放过程影响程度较高的现象为冷凝、传热、几何尺寸、流体混合、不凝性气体及热分层。利用关键现象识别及重要性分析结果与现有缩放实验台架的搭建经验及研究结果，得到了安全壳卸压排放过程验证性试验装置搭建中应该遵循的相似准则，从而为安全壳卸压排放验证性试验装置的搭建提供设计基础和理论依据。     

The role of the PIRT process in experiments, code development and code applications associated with reactor safety analysis

In September 1988, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a revised emergency core cooling system rule for light water reactors that allows, as an option, the use of best estimate plus uncertainty methods in safety analysis. To support the 1988 licensing revision, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and its contractors developed the code scaling, applicability and uncertainty evaluation methodology to demonstrate the feasibility of the best estimate plus uncertainty approach. The phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) process, Step 3 in the code scaling, applicability and uncertainty methodology, was originally formulated to support the best estimate plus uncertainty licensing option. Through further development and application, the PIRT process has shown additional utility as a robust means to establish safety analysis computer code phenomenological requirements in their order of importance to such analyses. The generic PIRT process, including typical and common illustrations from prior applications that promoted further development of the process, are described. Analysis of the results of the prior applications is also described. The analysis results provide information that can help guide future applications of the process in a graded approach based on phenomena relative importance.     

Study of a methodology of identifying important research problems by the PIRT process

In this paper, we propose a new methodology of identifying important research problems to be solved to improve the performance of some specific scientific technologies by the phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) process which has been used as a methodology for demonstrating the validity of the best estimate simulation codes in US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) licensing of nuclear power plants. The new methodology makes it possible to identify important factors affecting the performance of the technologies from the viewpoint of the figure of merit and problems associated with them while it keeps the fundamental concepts of the original PIRT process. Also in this paper, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the new methodology by applying it to a task of extracting research problems for improving an inspection accuracy of ultrasonic testing or eddy current testing in the inspection of objects having cracks due to fatigue or stress corrosion cracking.     

小破口引发的严重事故工况及事故缓解的研究

利用MAAP4程序对方家山核电站进行建模,针对事故后果较为严重的小破口事件进行了计算分析,得到了假设事故下电厂系统的反应以及相应的严重事故现象.对事故中发生的DCH(安全壳直接加热)现象和安全壳失效以及裂变产物向环境的释放进行了分析.随后,本文根据相关的严重事故管理导则和该事故的特点,对缓解该事故的策略进行了研究和计算...     

应用DAKOTA程序耦合WGOTHIC程序进行安全壳压力响应敏感性分析

安全壳压力响应分析是验证非能动安全壳冷却系统(PCS)设计的重要内容,需考虑PCS的传热传质等各种现象的影响。本文应用DAKOTA程序耦合WGOTHIC程序对大型先进压水堆非能动安全壳压力响应进行敏感性分析,通过偏相关系数,定量评价了重要现象识别和排序表(PIRT)中各种现象对安全壳压力的影响程度。研究结果表明:质能释放现象、安全壳内初始环境条件、冷凝/蒸发现象显著影响安全壳压力。该研究结果为安全壳设计、安全分析和安全审评提供技术支持。     

GOTHIC程序在海洋核动力平台反应堆舱安全分析领域的适用性评估

针对海洋核动力平台反应堆舱热工水力分析程序缺乏的现状,以一回路失水事故（LOCA）下反应堆舱压力响应为评价基准,基于安全壳现象识别与排序表（PIRT）分析方法,通过开展LOCA下反应堆舱热工水力现象识别、现象分级研究,建立了反应堆舱PIRT。通过开展GOTHIC程序模型验证矩阵与PIRT的匹配性分析,确认GOTHIC程序在海洋核动力平台反应堆舱热工水力分析领域的适用性。本文分析方法对其他安全分析程序在核电等领域的跨领域适用性评估具有一定参考价值。      

European expert network for the reduction of uncertainties in severe accident safety issues (EURSAFE)

EURSAFE thematic network was a concerted action in the sixth framework programme of the European Commission. It established a large consensus among the main actors in nuclear safety on the severe accident issues where large uncertainties still subsist. The conclusions were derived from a first-of-kind phenomena identification and ranking tables (PIRT) on all aspects of severe accident also realised in the frame of the project. Starting from a list of all severe accident phenomena containing approximately 1000 entries and established by the twenty partner organisations, 106 phenomena were retained eventually as both important for safety and still lacking sufficient knowledge. Ultimately, 21 research areas for addressing these phenomena regrouped according to their similarities were identified. A networking structure for implementing and executing the necessary research was proposed, which promotes integration and harmonisation of the different national programmes. A severe accident database structure was proposed to ensure preservation of experimental data and enhanced communication for data exchange and use for severe accident codes assessment. The final product, named EURSAFE, is a website network, http://asa2.jrc.it/eursafe, connecting nodes located at partner sites. As the result of an action involving R&D governmental institutions, regulatory bodies, nuclear industry, utilities and universities from six EU Member States (Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, UK) plus JRC, three European third countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland), and USA, EURSAFE represents a significant step towards harmonisation and credibility of the approaches, and resolution of the remaining severe accident issues.     

Quantification of severe accident source terms of a Westinghouse 3-loop plant

Integrated severe accident analysis codes are used to quantify the source terms of the representative sequences identified in PSA study. The characteristics of these source terms depend on the detail design of the plant and the accident scenario. A historical perspective of radioactive source term is provided. The grouping of radionuclides in different source terms or source term quantification tools based on TID-14844, NUREG-1465, and WASH-1400 is compared. The radionuclides release phenomena and models adopted in the integrated severe accident analysis codes of STCP and MAAP4 are described. In the present study, the severe accident source terms for risk quantification of Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant of Taiwan Power Company are quantified using MAAP 4.0.4 code. A methodology is developed to quantify the source terms of each source term category (STC) identified in the Level II PSA analysis of the plant. The characteristics of source terms obtained are compared with other source terms. The plant analyzed employs a Westinghouse designed 3-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR) with large dry containment.     

严重事故下安全壳排气对乏燃料厂房氢气风险影响研究

以我国某三代压水堆核电厂为例,选取了2个典型严重事故工况,采用严重事故一体化程序MAAP开展建模与计算,对安全壳排气的过程及对乏燃料厂房造成的氢气风险进行了分析。结果表明,如果不考虑乏燃料厂房的通风系统,从安全壳内释放的混合气体由于水蒸气的冷凝,会对乏燃料厂房造成一定的氢气风险;如果考虑乏燃料厂房通风系统的作用,乏燃料厂房的氢气风险将会消除。      

Views on R&D needs about in-vessel reflooding issues, with a focus on debris coolability

In-vessel reflooding during a severe accident in a PWR was analyzed in 2000–2002 by a group of experts with the aim to prepare a global IRSN R&;D strategy to answer the corresponding pending safety issues. Indeed, water is today systematically injected if available during a severe accident in a PWR. However, knowledge on consequences of such an injection is not complete and answers are necessary for accident management in present PWR as well for design and safety analysis of future PWR: is in-vessel corium retention possible? What is the kinetics of hydrogen production? What is the reactor cooling system (RCS) re-pressurization? Is there a risk of steam explosion (steam explosion is not discussed in this paper)? What is the impact on source term? And more generally, how to optimize water injection? (When? How?) R&;D needs of investigation of these aspects were identified. This should cover separate-effect and integral tests, as well as modeling and code development.The approach consisted first in updating the synthesis of knowledge, based on the multiple reports released in an international frame (OECD, European Commission (EC) Framework Programs (FwP), …), and then in focusing on a detailed re-analysis of the most important experiments CORA, QUENCH, LOFT-LP-FP2 and of TMI-2 accident, the latter two being directly related to debris coolability phenomena. Several out-of-pile experiments on debris bed coolability were also analyzed.A qualitative analysis of different possible core degradation scenarios was performed for French PWR, depending on operator actions or procedures. Simplified and mechanistic models were used to evaluate orders of magnitude of the phenomena in reactor conditions.A Phenomena Identification Ranking Table (PIRT) ranked the elementary phenomena with respect, on one hand, to their importance from the point of view of safety consequences and, on the other hand, to their level of understanding (often based on experts opinion). In particular, coolability of debris either in the core or in the lower plenum was identified as an important issue to be solved: uncertainties were underlined on debris characterization (size, distribution, composition, …) and on multi-D thermal–hydraulics in a debris bed. This ranking is fully consistent with the outcomes of the EURSAFE 5th FwP project. Existing or future experiments that could satisfy the needs were then identified, including for debris coolability POMECO, DEBRIS, STYX, etc. This specific issue will be analyzed in the frame of the Network of Excellence on severe accidents SARNET which has started in 2004 in the 6th FwP. Further model developments are being performed in the IRSN codes ICARE/CATHARE (detailed modeling) and ASTEC (simplified fast-running modeling), the latter being jointly developed with GRS.     

核反应堆试验台架比例分析方法的发展和应用

比例分析方法为建立合理的反应堆安全系统缩比试验台架提供了理论基础。本文结合比例分析方法的发展，探讨了不同比例方法的特点，并总结了部分已有台架的比例设计概念及评价，为反应堆系统试验台架比例方法的选取提供了参考。结果表明，线性比例方法中的加速度比例项使其应用受到限制；功率-体积法是一种简单有效的比例方法，但瘦高台架的特点也使此方法存在不可避免的弱点；H2TS（HierarchicalTwo-TieredScaling）方法以PIRT（PhenomenaIdentificationRankingTable）表为基础，对系统中重要整体过程和局部过程均进行了比例分析，其发展的相似准则中含有流体物性比例项，为台架比例概念的发展提供了条件。我国将以H2TS方法为指导建立非能动堆芯冷却系统试验台架ACME。     

Generic CANDU 6 plant severe accident analysis employing SCAPSIM/RELAP5 code

The purpose of the present study is to assess the capability of SCDAPSIM/RELAP5 to perform the deterministic analysis for postulated severe accidents for CANDU plant and to gain information for potential improvements in code modelling. SCDAPSIM/RELAP5 is a widespread and detailed computer code for severe accident analysis that can be adapted to benchmark the CANDU dedicated tools, MAAP4–CANDU and ISAAC. Simulations of station blackout (SBO) and large loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) scenarios, which, through further system failures, may eventually lead to severe core damage (SCD) accident in a CANDU 6, are presented. The paper provides details concerning the methodology and nodalization used, and interprets the results obtained. Comparisons of the SCDAPSIM/RELAP5 simulations with the MAAP4–CANDU code reported results are presented. Also, some insights are given on possible reasons for the discrepancies between the SCDAPSIM/RELAP5 and MAAP4–CANDU code predictions.     

典型压水堆小破口LOCA参数重要度排序表开发

现象识别排序表（PIRT）是反应堆热工水力分析的重要依据,传统PIRT的建立依赖于专家经验,因此缺乏专家经验时难以开展参数的识别工作。本文开展在缺乏专家经验时确定各输入参数重要度排序的研究,选定的工况为典型三回路压水堆（PWR）小破口失水事故（SBLOCA）。参考已有的SBLOCA PIRT,并基于基准计算结果,筛选和补充了可能对目标输出（FOM）具有影响的54个不确定性输入参数。使用一种优化矩独立全局敏感性分析方法计算得到了各输入参数对FOM的敏感性度量和重要度排序。将参数的重要度排序转换为Savage分数,按照Savage分数定性地将所有输入参数进行重要度分组,从而得到了SBLOCA的参数重要度排序表,为压水堆SBLOCA工况的参数排序提供了参考。     

Safety studies on Korean fusion DEMO plant using integrated safety assessment methodology

The purpose of this paper is to suggest methodology that can investigate safety issues and provides a case study for Korean fusion DEMO plant (K-DEMO) as a part of R&D program through the National Fusion Research Institute of Korea. Even though nuclear regulation and licensing framework is well setup due to the operating and design experience of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) since 1970s, the regulatory authority of South Korea has concerns on the challenge of facing new nuclear facilities including K-DEMO due to the differences in systems, materials, and inherent safety feature from conventional PWRs. Even though the follow-up of the ITER license process facilitates to deal with significant safety issues of fusion facilities, a licensee as well as a licenser should identify the gaps between ITER and DEMO in terms of safety issues. First we reviewed the methods of conducting safety analysis for unprecedented nuclear facilities such as Generation IV reactors, particularly very high temperature reactor (VHTR), which is called as integrated safety assessment methodology (ISAM). Second, the analysis for the conceptual design of K-DEMO on the basis of ISAM was conducted. The ISAM consists of five analytical tools to develop the safety requirements from licensee's viewpoint in interactive manner: qualitative safety features review (QSR), phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT), objective provision tree (OPT), probabilistic safety assessment (PSA), and deterministic and phenomenological analysis (DPA). Considering the design phase of K-DEMO, the current study focused on the PIRT process with the fusion safety advisory group in South Korea.     

Level 2 analysis to estimate LERF risk from a thermally induced rupture of a steam generator tube defect

This paper outlines the Level 2 portion of a methodology for determining the incremental induced steam generator tube rupture large early release fraction caused by an actual through-wall defect. This defect was responsible for the minor steam generator tube leak that occurred in September 2002 at the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station Unit 1. In order to quantify the performance of the defect over the operating cycle, a range of defect lengths were input to the PROBFAIL computer code [Kenton, M., 2001. PROBFAIL: A Computer Code for Evaluating the Likelihood of Steam Generator Tube Rupture in Severe Nuclear Power Plant Accidents, CREARE TM-2138], using appropriate boundary conditions derived from MAAP4 [Henry, R., et al., May 1994. MAAP4—Modular Accident Analysis Program for LWR Power Plants, Computer Code Manual, EPRI Research Project 3131-02] runs. From the analysis of the calculated times of burst for each assumed defect length, the minimum through-wall defect length necessary for tube burst to occur prior to hot leg or surge line creep rupture was calculated. The probability that the defect would actually have this length was then estimated by determining the fraction of the cycle for which the defect would be at least that long. The methodology development and implementation relied on MAAP4 runs, which are discussed extensively in connection with their role in: (1) guiding the construction of the accident progression event tree, (2) generating relevant information for probability assignments in the various underlying fault trees and (3) obtaining boundary conditions of pressure and temperature for use in PROBFAIL. The overall increment in LERF due to the existence of the defect was calculated to be approximately 4E−08.     

Modelling of Zry-4 cladding oxidation by air, under severe accident conditions using the MAAP4 code

In a nuclear power plant, a potential risk in some low probability situations in severe accidents is air ingress into the vessel. Air is a highly oxidizing atmosphere that can lead to an enhanced core oxidation and degradation affecting the release of Fission Products (FP), especially increasing that of ruthenium. This FP is of particular importance because of its high radio-toxicity and its ability to form highly volatile oxides. Oxygen affinity is decreasing between Zircaloy cladding, fuel and ruthenium inclusions in the fuel. It is consequently of great need to understand the phenomena governing cladding oxidation by air as a prerequisite for the source term issues.A review of existing data in the field of Zircaloy-4 oxidation in air-containing atmosphere shows that this phenomenon is quantitatively well understood. The cladding oxidation process can be divided into two kinetic regimes separated by a breakaway transition. Before transition, a protective dense zirconia scale grows following a solid state diffusion-limited regime for which experimental data are well fitted by a parabolic time dependence. For a given thickness, which depends mainly on temperature and the extent of pre-oxidation in steam, the dense scale can potentially breakdown. In case of breakaway combined with oxygen starvation, cladding oxidation can then be much faster because of the combined action of oxygen and nitrogen through a complex self sustaining nitriding-oxidation process.A review of the pre-existing correlations used to simulate zirconia scale growth under air atmospheres shows a high degree of variation from parabolic to accelerated time dependence. Variations also exist in the choice of the breakaway parameter based on zirconia phase change or oxide thickness. Several correlations and breakaway parameters found in the literature were implemented in the MAAP4.07 Severe Accident code. They were assessed by simulation of the QUENCH-10 test, which is a semi-integral test designed to study fuel bundle exposure to steam first and then to air. This paper deals with the main results obtained with MAAP4.07 when simulating QUENCH-10.     

Application of fractional scaling analysis (FSA) to loss of coolant accidents (LOCA): Methodology development

A quantitative methodology is developed to

(a) scale time-dependent evolution processes involving an aggregate of interacting modules and processes (such as a NPP) and

(b) integrate and organize information and data of interest to NPP design and safety analyses.

The methodology is based on two concepts: fractional scaling and hierarchy. Fractional scaling is used to provide a synthesis of experimental data to generate quantitative criteria for assessing the effects of various design and operating parameters on thermo-hydraulic processes in a NPP. The synthesis via fractional scaling is carried out at three hierarchical levels: process, component and system. The methodology is demonstrated by applying it to a LOCA.The fractional scaling analysis (FSA) identifies dominant processes, ranks them quantitatively according to their importance and provides thereby an objective basis for establishing phenomena identification and ranking tables (PIRT) as well as a basis for conducting uncertainty analyses.The paper also discusses the benefits to be realized by applying the methodology to presently operating NPP as well as to future design of NPP.