Сравнительная оценка безопасности ВВЭР СКДИ

Abstract

The vast majority types of nuclear reactors in operation today are water-cooled. A further stage in the development of this area is nuclear reactors cooled by supercritical pressure water (SCP). Work on the development of SCP reactors will be introduced as part of the international forum Generation IV. In Russia, one of the developments of such reactors is the V-670 WWER SCP reactor unit (RU), the concept of which was proposed by the Kurchatov Institute in the 1990s. The pressurized water reactor with supercritical pressure (WWER SCP) is an integral layout of the primary circuit with natural coolant circulation. These features provide a high level of reactor safety and allow you to abandon many safety systems (SS), which are present in the design of modern WWER reactor unit. In this article is proposed the estimation of WWER SKPI`s safety compared to reactor unit V-392M for the project NPP-2006, which is a deeply developed one. Hence, the description of possible accidents and provided SS for V-392M; detailed description of WWER SCP features and the analysis of their influence on the reactor`s safety condition and the possibility of significant reduce of SS in comparison with V-392M. In addition, the analysis of possible problems, which may arise in a reactor core in a single-circuit SCP, is carried out. This type of reactors is characterized with close fuel assembly grid and high operating cladding temperatures that would constrain the flooding process of the reactor core in case of LOCA and lead to the intense growth of cladding temperature. The WWER SKPI, which has reasonable core temperature level, is not related to such a kind of problem. Finally, the V-670 advantages are summarized and the range of problems which needs to be solved on the way of further development of WWER SCP`s project is described.