Updating of local blockage frequency in the reactor core of SFR and PRA on consequent severe accident in Monju

Abstract

ABSTRACTFuel subassemblies of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) are densely arranged and have high power densities. Therefore, the local fault has been considered as one of the possible initiating events of severe accidents. In the conventional analyses for the license of Japanese prototype SFR (Monju), according to the local fault evaluation under the condition of one sub-channel flow blockage in the analyses of design basis accident (DBA), it was confirmed that the pin failures were limited locally without severe core damage. In addition, local flow blockage of 66% central planar in the subassembly was historically investigated as one of the beyond-DBAs. However, it became clear that these deterministic analyses were not based on a realistic assumption by experimental studies. Therefore, probabilistic risk assessment on local fault which was initiated from local flow blockage was performed reflecting the state-of-the-art knowledge in this study. As a result, damage propagation from local fault caused by local flow blockage in Monju can be negligible compared with the core damage due to anticipated transient without scram or protected loss of heat sink in the viewpoint of both frequency and consequence.