LOCA

I he eigenvector-following (or Hessian mode) method implemented in HyperChem is based on an effieien t quasi-Newton like algorithm for loca tin g tran sitiori states, wh ieh can locate tran si-tion states for alternative rearran gern eri t/dissoeiation reactions, even when startin g from th e wron g regio n on th e poten tial en ergy surface. 

One of the most important uses of models is to show how electrons are distributed inside molecules The laws of quantum mechanics state that an electron s spatial location can not be precisely specified but the likelihood of detecting an electron at a particular loca tion can be calculated (and measured) This likelihood is called the electron density (see Chapter 1) and SpartanView can display three dimensional graphs that show regions of high and low electron density inside a molecule... 

Safety. A large inventory of radioactive fission products is present in any reactor fuel where the reactor has been operated for times on the order of months. In steady state, radioactive decay heat amounts to about 5% of fission heat, and continues after a reactor is shut down. If cooling is not provided, decay heat can melt fuel rods, causing release of the contents. Protection against a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA), eg, a primary coolant pipe break, is required. Power reactors have an emergency core cooling system (ECCS) that comes into play upon initiation of a LOCA. 

Identified transients and small LOCAs as the major risk contributors, rather than the [irc. ions emphasis on a large LOCAs ... 

An example of a multipurpose system is a reactor s low pressure coolant injection system which uses one out of four (1/4) pumps for a small LOCA, and three-out-of-four pumps for a large LOCA (3/4). The top event for the small LOCA might be "none of four LPCI pump u1... 

LOCA, is presented in Table 3.4.5-1. In preparing the event tree, reference to the reactor s design determines the effect of the failure of the various systems. Following the pipe break, the system should scram (Figure 3.4.5-2, node 1). If scram is successful, the line following the node goes up. Successful initial steam condensation (node 2 up) protects the containment from initial overpressure. Continuing success in these events traverses the upper line of the event tree to state 1 core cooled. Any failures cause a traversal of other paths in the evL-nl tree. 

Fig. 3.4.5-4 iMrge LOCA as a System Event h (adapted from NUREG/CR-2300 ... 

LESF (Figure 3.4.5-5), exemplified for the large LOCA, is compared with SELF. Event tree headings are the refueling water storage tank (RWST) a passive component, an engineered safety system (SA-1) and four elements of the containment system. Other examples of the LESF method show human error in the event tree while the criteria for system success is usually in the tan It tree analysis. 

The confusion matrix (NSAC-60) is a method that identifies potential operator errors lemming from incorrect diagnosis of an event. It can be used to identify the potential for an operator to conclude that a small LOCA has occurred, when it is actually a steam line break. This provides a method for identifying a wrong operator response to an off-normal plant condition. It is particularly useful in Step 5 of the. SHARP procedures, Documentation requirements are presented in Table 4.5-2. 

Large LOCA (rupture of a pipe larger than 6 inches m diameter or equivalent,... 

Fig 5.1-6 Large LOCA Seismic Event Tree for a i. some of which had been regarded as independent and redundant. Although there is little... 

Assess the effects of initiating fires and subsequent fire growth on the initiating events, such as LOCAs and transients. 

The plant internal PSA can be used to identify critical equipment that could be damaged by fire. This form of screening was employed in the fire-risk portions of ZIP. At each location considered, the loss of all the equipment in the zone is postulated regardless of the size or position of the fire in the zone. If this does not show the occurrence of an initiating event (LOCA or transient) or if the safety functions are not damage to required for safe shutdown, the location is eliminated from consideration. If the location is found to be critical, it is considered furilier lot-detailed fire growth and fire suppression analyses. 

A flooding analysis for major plant systems uses a qualitative fault tree that takes into account the elevation of system components. This procedure, illustrated in Figure 5.3-1, uses a fault tree captioned for the top event, "core melt due to internal flood." The fault tree is developed under the assumption that a flood causes a transient, small, or large LOCA, or causes the failure of... 

Nuclear power plant systems may be classified as "Frontline" and "Support. . iccurding to their. service in an accident. Frontline systems are the engineered safety systems that deal directly with an accident. Support systems support the frontline systems. Accident initiators are broadly grouped as loss of cooling accidents (LOCAs) or transients. In a LOCA, water cooling the reactor is lost by failure of the cooling envelope. These are typically classified as small-small (SSLOCA), smalt (SLOCA), medium (MLOCA) and large (LLOCA). 

A transient, is a passing event which may upset the reactor operation but does not physically damage the primary cooling envelope. Table 6.1-1 lists PWR transient initiating events that ha c been used in PRA preparation. Typical frontline systems that mitigate LOCAs and transients for a PWR are presented in Table 6.1-2. The frontline systems must be supported by support systems interactions between both are presented in Table 6.1 -3 for ANO-1 (Arkansas Nuclear Unit 1). 

Like current PWRs, accumulators provide the initial makeup flow in case of a LOCA. Each 1,7(X) ft accumulator is pressurized with 300 ft of nitrogen at 700 psi to force open check valves and inject into the RCS when pressure falls below this pressure. The IRWST provides... 

Fig. 1.1-6 SWBR LOCA Response The suppression pool absorbs the blowdown energy, the reactor vessel is depressurized by the depressurization valves and then flooded by the...

In case of a LOCA, the core will not uncover or the fuel heat up because of ... 

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