BWR Anticipated Transients Without SCRAM in the MELLLA+ Expanded Operating Domain Part 4: Sensitivity Studies for Events Leading to Emergency Depressurization

This is the fourth in a series of reports on the response of a BWR/5 boiling water reactor to anticipated transients without reactor scram (ATWS) when operating in the expanded operating domain MELLLA+. In this report ATWS events initiated by closure of main steam isolation valves are analyzed at beginning-of-cycle, and end-of-full-power-life, conditions. The objective is to understand the sensitivity of ATWS-ED events to the intial operating core flow and to the spectrally corrected moderator density history (void history). Different water level control strategies are considered. The ATWS events are simulated for a sufficiently long time (2500 s) to understand the response of key components and the potential for fuel damage or damage to the wetwell (suppression pool). These events lead to the automatic trip of recirculation pumps; and operator actions to activate the emergency depressurization system when the wetwell has reached the heat capacity temperature limit, and to control power through water level control and the injection of soluble boron. The simulations were carried out using the TRACE/PARCS code system and models developed for a previous study with all relevant BWR/5 systems

TRACE/PARCS Core Modeling of a BWR/5 for Accident Analysis of ATWS Events

The TRACE/PARCS computational package [1, 2] isdesigned to be applicable to the analysis of light water reactor operational transients and accidents where the coupling between the neutron kinetics (PARCS) and the thermal-hydraulics and thermal-mechanics (TRACE) is important. TRACE/PARCS has been assessed for itsapplicability to anticipated transients without scram(ATWS) [3]. The challenge, addressed in this study, is to develop a sufficiently rigorous input model that would be acceptable for use in ATWS analysis. Two types of ATWS events were of interest, a turbine trip and a closure of main steam isolation valves (MSIVs). In the first type, initiated by turbine trip, the concern is that the core will become unstable and large power oscillations will occur. In the second type,initiated by MSIV closure,, the concern is the amount of energy being placed into containment and the resulting emergency depressurization. Two separate TRACE/PARCS models of a BWR/5 were developed to analyze these ATWS events at MELLLA+ (maximum extended load line limit plus)operating conditions. One model [4] was used for analysis of ATWS events leading to instability (ATWS-I);the other [5] for ATWS events leading to emergency depressurization (ATWS-ED). Both models included a large portion of the nuclear steam supply system and controls, and a detailed core model, presented henceforth

BWR Anticipated Transients Without Scram Leading to Emergency Depressurization

Determines the effectiveness of automatic and operator actions of Anticipated transients without scram (ATWS)

Trace Assessment for BWR ATWS Analysis

A TRACE/PARCS input model has been developed in order to be able to analyze anticipated transients without scram (ATWS) in a boiling water reactor. The model is based on one developed previously for the Browns Ferry reactor for doing loss-of-coolant accident analysis. This model was updated by adding the control systems needed for ATWS and a core model using PARCS. The control systems were based on models previously developed for the TRAC-B code. The PARCS model is based on information (e.g., exposure and moderator density (void) history distributions) obtained from General Electric Hitachi and cross sections for GE14 fuel obtained from an independent source. The model is able to calculate an ATWS, initiated by the closure of main steam isolation valves, with recirculation pump trip, water level control, injection of borated water from the standby liquid control system and actuation of the automatic depres-surization system. The model is not considered complete and recommendations are made on how it should be improved

BWR Anticipated Transients Without Scram Leading to Instability

Anticipated transients without scram (ATWS) in aboiling water reactor (BWR) were simulated in order to understand reactor response and determine the effectiveness of automatic and operator actions to mitigate this beyond-design-basis accident. The events of interest herein are initiated by a turbine trip when the reactor is operating in the expanded operating domainMELLLA+ [maximum extended load line limit plus]. In these events the reactor may initially be at up to 120% of the original licensed thermal power (OLTP) and at flow rates as low as 80% of rated.For these (and similar) ATWS events the concern isthat when the reactor power decreases in response to a dual recirculation pump trip, the core will become unstable and large amplitude oscillations will begin. The occurrence of these power oscillations, if left unmitigated, may result in fuel damage, and the amplitude of the poweroscillations may hamper the effectiveness of the injection of dissolved neutron absorber through the standby liquid control system (SLCS)

TRACE Model for Simulation of Anticipated Transients Without Scram in a BWR

A TRACE model has been developed for using theTRACE/PARCS computational package [1, 2] to simulate anticipated transients without scram (ATWS) events in a boiling water reactor (BWR). The model represents a BWR/5 housed in a Mark II containment. The reactor and the balance of plant systems are modeled in sufficient detail to enable the evaluation of plant responses and theeffectiveness of automatic and operator actions tomitigate this beyond design basis accident.The TRACE model implements features thatfacilitate the simulation of ATWS events initiated by turbine trip and closure of the main steam isolation valves (MSIV). It also incorporates control logic to initiate actions to mitigate the ATWS events, such as water levelcontrol, emergency depressurization, and injection of boron via the standby liquid control system (SLCS). Two different approaches have been used to model boron mixing in the lower plenum of the reactor vessel: modulate coolant flow in the lower plenum by a flow valve, and use control logic to modular