Implications of the EBR-II inherent safety demonstration test

Abstract

Extensive thermal-hydraulics testing at EBR-II culminated in the Inherent Safety Demonstration Test on April 3, 1986. This work may well lead to fundamental changes in the approach to the design and licensing of liquid-metal-cooled reactor (LMR) power plants. The EBR-II test program has thus far demonstrated (1) passive removal of decay heat by natural circulation, (2) passive reactor shutdown for a loss of flow without scram, and (3) passive reactor shutdown for a loss of heat sink without scram. Supporting analyses indicate that these characteristics can be incorporated into larger commercial LMRs and be used as the basis for a totally new passive control strategy. Analyses and tests are now in progress to show that LMRs with these characteristics and the passive control strategy are also inherently safe for unprotected overpower accidents.