Large-Break Loss-of-Coolant Accident Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) for the Advanced CANDU Reactor

Abstract

The Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR™)* is an evolutionary advancement of the current CANDU 6® reactor, aimed at producing electrical power for a capital cost and unit-energy cost significantly less than that of current reactor designs. The ACR retains the modular concept of horizontal fuel channels surrounded by heavy water moderator, as with all CANDU reactors. However, ACR uses slightly enriched uranium (SEU) fuel, compared to the natural uranium used in CANDU 6. This achieves the twin goals of improved economics (e.g., via reductions in the heavy water requirements and the use of a light water coolant), as well as improved safety. This paper is focused on the double-ended guillotine critical inlet header break (CRIHB) loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) in an ACR reactor, which is considered as a large break LOCA. Large Break LOCA in water-cooled reactors has been used historically as a design basis event by regulators, and it has attracted a very large share of safety analysis and regulatory review. The LBLOCA event covers a wide range of system behaviours and fundamental phenomena. The Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) for LBLOCA therefore provides a good understanding of many of the safety characteristics of the ACR design. The paper outlines the design characteristics of the ACR reactor that impact the PIRT process and computer code applicability. It also describes the LOCA phenomena, lists all components and systems that have an important role during the event, discusses the PIRT process and results, and presents the final PIRT summary table.