Inadvertent Reactor Pit Flooding Risk Research on the Generation III Nuclear Power Plant

Abstract

In-vessel Melt Retention (IVR) system is a typical design feature of the the generation III nuclear power plant. In case of severe accident, enough water is injected into the reactor pit to cool the outside of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) to maintain the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel, so that the core melt is retained in RPV. The design concept of IVR is very meaningful for maintaining the integrity of RPV and reducing the risk of large radioactivity release, but on the other hand, it may also introduce the possibility of inadvertent reactor pit flooding during normal operation, which may threaten the integrity of RPV. At home and abroad, the research on IVR mainly focuses on whether its safety function can be realized, but less attention is paid to its potential negative impact. This paper takes the China generation III reactor with the IVR design feature for the study, carry out the possible inadvertent reactor pit flooding path analysis and frequency analysis. Based on the risk study, put forward the concerns to prevent inadvertent reactor pit flooding, which will provide guide for the subsequent IVR design and optimization.