MELCOR sensitivity studies for a low-pressure, short-term station blackout at the Peach Bottom plant

Abstract

This paper summarizes the results of analyses performed to assess the effect of a variety of design parameters and operational procedures on a station blackout severe accident at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station. The severe-accident melcor code, version 1.8.1 was used in these analyses. The following sensitivity studies were completed: effect of the automatic depressurization system actuation timing on the accident progression; effect of fuel and cladding porosities on vessel failure and containment failure times; effect of several parameters on the amount of in-vessel steel ejected into the cavity after vessel failure; effect of different parameters on vessel penetration failure time; vessel failure timing; and lower plenum shroud and core shroud temperatures. These sensitivity studies provided valuable insights into the melcor code behavior and into the progression of this severe accident. The most significant results are: (a) the optimum steam cooling of the core is accomplished when the automatic depressurization system is actuated when the core water level is at one-third of the active core height, delaying vessel failure by minutes and containment failure by hours, (b) vessel failure is significantly delayed (by 2 h) when lower-plenum debris quenching is included in the model, and (c) the core shroud melts during this transient.