Qualification Test of APR1400’s RCP Seal Under Extended SBO Condition

Abstract

The US NRC’s post-Fukushima taskforce recommend extending the coping time up to at least 72 hours. In PWRs, the reactor coolant pump (RCP), and more particularly the shaft seal system located between the motor and the impeller, are directly impacted by these recommendations [AREVA, 2012]. Considering the importance of station black out (SBO) condition, seal performance of RCP shaft seal assembly shall be verified especially under an extended SBO condition. As a final stage of the localization program of the RCP, KAERI performed a seal LOCA test to verify seal leakage characteristics and to produce qualified experimental data for a plant safety analysis during the extended SBO condition. The seal verification test was performed using the localized seal assembly, fabricated by DOOSAN Heavy Industries & Construction Company of Korea, along with the commercial APR1400’s RCP for the Shin-Kori unit-5 nuclear plant to simulate an actual condition of the commercial nuclear power plant. Test condition was derived from a series of safety analysis for the APR1400 plant which reflected the FLEX procedure, and it consisted of three major sub-conditions such as high-pressure and high-temperature condition, saturated condition, and low-pressure and low-temperature condition. The major concerning point of the test is to measure a seal leakage flow rate during the test period. Total leakage amount and maximum leakage flow rate through the localized shaft seal assembly during the whole period of the test are in comparatively smaller ranges than the conventional input values used for a safety analysis of APR1400.