Mission survey for the Pressure Vessel Research User's Facility (PVRUF)

Abstract

Description is given of a mission survey conducted as an exploratory phase of the ORNL Pressure Vessel Research Users' Facility (PVRUF) program. PVRUF is a planned open access research facility with a broad capability to perform R and D tasks necessary to bring laboratory scale PWR pressure vessel technology advances to a production status. The unique capability of PVRUF to perform this function, for a wide range of emerging pressure vessel technology advances, derives from its use of a full-scale production PWR reactor vessel as the facility test article. A full-scale prototype test article, while essential to the PVRUF mission, introduces a particular need for rigor in the facility mission definition, and the associated selection of facility features and systems. The scale of the test article dictates a matching scale in the facility features and systems. Each addition of a facility or system can thus add a significant increment to the facility mission and cost. The goal is to define the facility mission as accurately as possible at this time and to reflect the dominant reactor pressure vessel R and D needs as defined by a segment of the commercial nuclear power community. The features and systems selected for inclusionmore » in the facility conceptual design must be closely matched to the facility mission in order to achieve a cost-effective facility design. 17 refs., 13 figs., 4 tabs.« less