Role of passive systems in advanced reactors

Environmental characteristics of the current Generation III nuclear power plants

“…The use of internal pumps instead of external excludes large pipe ruptures at or below the elevation of the core and is a key factor to keep the core completely and continuously flooded for the entire spectrum of design basis loss of coolant accident (LOCA). The CDF (internal events) for the ABWR is 1.6 × 10 −7 events per reactor·year, nearly an order of magnitude lower than General Electric's BWR/6 older design . The ABWR also features a basaltic floor with passive cooling features that will terminate the flow of corium in the event of a core melt .…”

Design and development of innovative passive valves for Nuclear Power Plant applications

“…The Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) being designed in India incorporates several passive safety systems which will enable the plant to survive potential severe accidents without fuel damage and require no human intervention (Nayak and Sinha, 2007). This paper describes some of the important passive safety systems adopted in the AHWR design.…”

A review: passive system reliability analysis – accomplishments and unresolved issues

“…These concepts are designed with inherent safety features so that the reactor has the capability to return to stable safe conditions on its own in the event of any kind of accidents that may arise due to any internal or external events. Such safety characteristics are paramount important for these future reactors, which can minimize or eliminate the necessity of evacuation of public (Nayak and Sinha, 2007). In the current operating reactors, most of the critical safety functions are provided by using active safety systems.…”