Post-Blackout Response of Backup Power Supply on the Safety of Nuclear Fuel Storage Vault

Abstract

Thermal analysis of nuclear fuel storage vault post-blackout scenario and the response from different backup power supply systems have been carried out numerically. The thermal aspects of the blackout scenario with backup power supply and its effect on the rise in temperature of the blanket and fuel containers and their enclosures are presented. The airflow inside the vault is analyzed using predicted data from the simulations. The safety of the vault was analyzed in terms of inside air temperature distributions and the temperature rise of fuels after the failure of suction blowers. The reduction in air circulation resulted in the rise in the temperature of fuels and concrete walls of the vault. The temperatures of the fuel subassemblies and magazines increase immediately after the failure of suction blowers and rise in temperature of cooling air. The repeated failure of blowers led to a fluctuation in average fuel temperature. The present study will help identify different safety measures of nuclear fuel storage systems.