Fire and fire control systems in nuclear air and gas treatment systems: J. L. Kovach, Nuclear Consulting Services, Inc., Columbus, OH, USA

Abstract

This study adopted a physical digital High Pressure Core Flooder (HPCF) automatic control system for Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) design. The HPCF control system was connected to the PCTRAN/ABWR nuclear power plant (NPP) simulator by a communication interface. The HPCF logic control behavior was clearly identifiable and the defense echelon of HPCF digital control system was also analyzed in this work. In order to understand the defense echelon function of Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS), the dynamic behavior of ECCS was also analyzed by the test facility.The defense echelons of ECCS include the following – Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System (RCIC), HPCF, Low Pressure Flooder mode of Residual Heat Removal System (RHR/LPFL), and Automatic Depressurization System (ADS). In the study, HPCF was implemented and simulated by a commercial grade digital I&C platform (National Instruments), RCIC, HPCF and the plant model were simulated by PCTRAN/ABWR. An interface transferred the computer code parameters to digital input, digital output, analog input, and analog output signals.Six case studies were performed, which were (1) ECCS is initiated by high drywell pressure signal, (2) ECCS is initiated by low reactor water level signal, (3) ECCS initiation follows the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) condition of Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant (LMNPP), (4) ECCS fails without operators manual action, (5) ECCS fails with operators manual action on HPCF, and (6) ATWS mitigated with ARI, ECCS Initiated by High Dry Well Pressure Signal. The results obtained from the system development process, has contributed additionally towards the research which is conducted at Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) and also benefits all other Instrumentation and Control (I&C) system improvement and development of Taiwan Nuclear Instrumentation and Control Systems.