Human Error Probability Quantification using SPAR-H Method: Total Loss of Feedwater case study for VVER-1000

Abstract

The primary side Feed & Bleed (F&B) recovery strategy is the last device to avoid core damage in the event of loss of Ultimate Heat Sink (UHS) accident. In the context of accident management, besides multiple safety systems’ well-functioning, human factor has a significant role in avoiding the extreme scenarios. In this research, it is tried to quantify Human Error Probability (HEP) of operators’ interference to initiate F&B recovery procedure when the Total Loss of Feedwater (TLFW) accident occurs in a typical VVER-1000 Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) via Standardized Plant Analysis Risk-Human Reliability Analysis (SPAR-H) Method. Among those factors that affect human performance is the available time for the operators’ late interference in order to reestablish natural circulation to remove the residual heat after the reactor scrammed which is computed using the best estimate code RELAP5 Mod 3.2. It is revealed that the diagnosis and the action HEPs of the operators are highly dependent and the combined HEP value is too risky with an unacceptable amount of uncertainty. It is concluded that the accident management procedure must be redesigned so as to eliminate diagnosis and action dependency.