The evaluation of RCS depressurization to prevent core melting in pressure tube reactors (CANDU-type)

Pressure tube reactors, especially of the CANDU-type, have a low-pressure vessel calandria – under an internal pressure near atmospheric. The calandria vessel is immersed into the water contained inside a concrete structure – the calandria vault. In the case of accidents with the loss of normal core heat sinks, the moderator inside the calandria (heavy water) could become the ultimate heat sink. Accident analysis using a newly developed model (ASQR) strengthens the importance of the inside cooling of the fuel channels in order to prevent severe accidents. Even if implementing those methods related to moderator for eliminating the impairment of the outside cooling of fuel channels, these are not sufficient. The new model has been compared against the well-known in-reactor LOCA experiment – PBF – NRU.