Analysis of Operating Experience Involving Loss of Decay Heat Removal during Reactor Shutdown in Pressurized Water Reactors

Abstract

In PWRs, loss of decay heat removal (DHR) during reactor shutdown with the reactor coolant system (RCS) partially drained may result in core boiling in a short time. The subsequent RCS pressurization could prevent water flow into the RCS by gravity feed and consequently the core would be uncovered. This paper analyzes U.S. PWR operating experience involving the DHR loss in such reduced inventory conditions. Between 1976 and 1990, reported were a total of 63 loss of DHR events which occurred during reactor shutdown with the RCS inventory reduced. Review of the event reports indicated that many loss of DHR events in reduced inventory conditions resulted from air entrainment into the DHR pumps due to lowering the reactor water level too far, loss of coolant inventory, increased pump flow and so on. The coolant heatup rates were evaluated for 12 events with use of the data such as the time elapsed from reactor shutdown actually reported. The calculated results were in reasonably good agreement with the observed ones and showed that core boiling would take place within 1 h even if the DHR loss would occur in the late stage of shutdown (for example, 30 days after the shutdown).