Transient Analysis for the Case of Changes in Coolant Inventory for Advanced Heavy Water Reactor
Authors: Lele H. G. , Srivastava A. , Chatterjee B. , Gaikwad A. J. , Kumar Rajesh , Gupta S. K. 
Published: November 2008

Safety of nuclear reactor needs to be assessed against different categories of Postulated initiating events. Advanced Heavy Water Reactor is natural circulation light water cooled and heavy water moderated pressure tube type of reactor. Inventory of the system is important parameter in determination of flow characteristics of this natural circulation reactor. In view of this, various events that cause changes in PHT system inventory are analysed in this paper. One of the reason for decrease in coolant inventory is hypothetical Loss of coolant accident (LOCA) This event is of very low probability but important from designing engineered safeguard system of a reactor. Loss of coolant accident in a nuclear reactor can cause voiding of the reactor core due to expulsion of primary coolant from break. In such, a situation the reactor core experiences very low heat removal rate from the nuclear fuel though the decay heat generation continues even after tripping of the reactor. Heat generation in the reactor core is due to various sources such as decay heat, stored heat etc, can lead to heating of fuel elements. However, Emergency core cooling systems of the reactor are actuated and prevent undesirable temperature rise. These events are called design basis events and focus is on adequacy of Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) and fuel integrity. The scenarios, phenomena encountered and consequences depend upon size and location of break, system characteristics, and actuation and capability of different protection and engineered safeguard systems of the reactor system. Moreover, this reactor has several passive features to ensure safety of this reactor. which are considered in analyzing these events. Events under category of decrease in coolant inventory includes loss of coolant accidents due to break at different locations of different sizes. Various locations considered in this paper are steam line, inlet header, inlet feeder, ECCS header, downcomer, pressure tube, Isolation condenser inlet header, instrument line break at inlet header and steam drum. The paper also considers scenario emerging due to malfunctions like relief valve stuck open. Causes for events under category of increase in coolant inventory are Increase in Drum level controller set point, Inadvertent valving in of Accumulators and Inadvertent valving in of Gravity driven water pool (GDWP). Last two events are not analysed as they are not possible. The analysis for the above events is complex due to various complex and wide ranges of phenomena involved during different pies under this category. It involves single and two phase natural circulation at different power levels, inventories and pressures, two-phase natural circulation under depleted inventory conditions. Coupled neutronics and thermal hydraulics behaviour, Phenomena under LOCA, phenomena during ECCS injection, direct injection into fuel rod, advanced accumulator injection., vapour pull through and coupled controller and thermal hydraulics. Modelling of these phenomena for each event is discussed in this paper. In this paper summary of analyses for representive event is presented.