Application of REPAS to analyze the sump clogging issue following a LOCA and its impact on the reliability of the ECCS long-term core cooling function

Abstract

Sump clogging has been identified as a relevant issue after an accident occurred in the Barsebäck-2 nuclear power plant in Sweden (1992). Following a steam line Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) due to the inadvertent opening of a safety relief valve, the jet stripped some insulation material from nearby pipes. The insulation debris were transported to the inlet of the strainers for the drywell spray system, thus clogging the intake. The accident was not serious but showed that the Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) could have failed. As a consequence, several actions have been undertaken by international organizations, regulatory bodies and nuclear power plant owners to characterize this issue, and propose solutions and improvements. In the present paper, the Reliability Evaluation of Passive Safety Systems (REPAS) methodology is applied to analyze the sump clogging issue and its effect on the long-term core cooling function. Originally developed to evaluate the reliability of passive systems, REPAS is here applied for the first time to an active system. The application is performed using the TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine (TRACE) code, developed by the USNRC, to simulate a generic three-loop PWR, with an active decay heat removal system.