Citation

Rebollo MJ, Queral C, Jimenez G, Gómez-Magán J, Meléndez E, Sánchez-Perea M. Reliab. Eng. Syst. Safety 2016; 147: 32-48.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ress.2015.10.016

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The current main figure of merit for risk based decision making process based on Probabilistic Safety Assessment level 1 is usually related with the fuel failure (i.e., Peak Cladding Temperature (PCT)>1477.15 K). In this approach, the core damage is the first and necessary step in a potential radiological release, being the containment failure the second one. Nevertheless, SGTR sequences in PWR plants are able to release large quantities of radioactive products without previous core damage or containment failure. For that reason, it seems necessary to analyze which sequences exceed the allowed offsite dose criteria prior to the core damage criterion.

The aim of this analysis has been to evaluate the risk contribution due to the offsite dose and the core damage in case of Steam Generator Tube Rupture (SGTR) sequences at full power in a 3-loop Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Westinghouse-design. The study has been performed with SCAIS/MAAP and RADTRAD codes. For that purpose, this analysis unfolds the SGTR Dynamic Event Tree for both the core damage and the offsite dose risk metrics. The results indicate that dose criteria complement the PCT criterion and allow quantifying both risk contributions in SGTR sequences.