Risk Analysis of Spent Fuel Pool Caused by Seismic Events

Abstract

Spent fuel pool stores fuel assemblies that have been removed from the reactor in previous years, and the release of radioactive material to the external environment is easier than reactor core after fuel damage occurs. In the earthquake situation, the spent fuel pool itself and its accident corresponding mitigation measures are likely to fail at the same time, causing serious accident consequences. Based on the design and operation characteristics of typical CPR1000 units, this paper uses the probability safety analysis method to quantitatively evaluate the risk of spent fuel pool caused by seismic events, and identify the weak links in the design and operation of CPR1000 units. Quantitative analysis shows that the risk of the spent fuel pool caused by seismic events is relatively low relative to the core, with the main risks coming from the collapse of the fuel building and structural damage to the spent fuel pool. In addition, seismic events affect both the core and spent fuel pool, and the steam and radioactivity of spent fuel pools will have an impact on mitigation of core accidents.