Abstract
The emergency core cooling system (ECCS) of a nuclear power plant supplies cooling water to the reactor vessel in the case of a loss of coolant accident (LOCA). A LOCA generates debris by the force of coolant impinging upon pipe insulation and entraining a wide variety of particulate matter from the reactor building surfaces that the coolant flows over. During the recirculation phase following a LOCA, if a sufficient quantity of debris accumulates on the sump screens, the ECCS pumps’ suction flow path can be reduced significantly, causing a drop in the available NPSH and, eventually, a loss of pump flow. If the ECCS flow is lost for a sufficiently long time, the core may become uncovered and overheat, causing severe damage to the fuel. Since the Barseback strainer event (July 1992), studies and experiments are being undertaken all ...
Published Version
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