Inclusion of Aircraft Crash into NPP Design Bases and Probabilistic Justification of Loads on Civil Structures and Equipment

Abstract

The article is about nuclear power plant (NPP) safety analysis in case of aircraft crash. Specifically, the article considers the following problems: inclusion of aircraft crash into NPP design bases regarding calculation of frequency of an aircraft crash into NPP; aspects of justification of loads on NPP structures, systems and components (SSCs) caused by mechanical action of a primary missile – aircraft fuselage impact.
 Probabilistic characteristics of such random parameters as frequency of aircraft crash and direction of aircraft trajectory are determined by the results of analysis of world statistics of aviation accidents. Method of calculation of aircraft crash frequency on structures, buildings and NPP as a whole is presented. It takes into account options of accidental and intentional aircraft crashes and various aircraft approach scenarios.
 Procedure of probabilistic justification of loads on civil structures under aircraft impact is described. The loads are specified so as not to exceed allowable value of failure probability of NPP as a whole. Calculation of failure frequency of civil structures of existing NPP is given as an example to show analysis in case of a crash of an aircraft heavier than considered in NPP design.
 Procedure of probabilistic justification of dynamic loads on NPP equipment in case of aircraft impact is described. Method of floor response spectra (FRS) calculation with the required non-exceedance probability is given. Probabilistically justified loads in case of intentional aircraft impact (act of terrorism) are also considered. Additionally it is presented how internal forces calculated with the use of FRS with the required non-exceedance probability can be summed to provide analysis of subsystems.