The plant thermohydraulic analysis for the monju PRA study; Recovery from PLOHS or LORL using the maintenance cooling system

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In this study, decay heat removal capability of the Maintenance Cooling System (MCS) of Monju has been investigated with respect to protected accidents. The protected accidents of the Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBRs), such as Protected Loss-of-Heat-Sink (PLOHS) or Loss-of-Reactor-Level (LORL), are of great importance from the viewpoint of the annual frequency of core damage. The progression of the protected accidents is mild in general because reactor decay heat can be dispersed from the core by natural circulation. The decay heat for Monju is to be removed by the Intermediate Reactor Auxiliary Cooling system (IRACS). It is essential to keep the intactness of coolant flow path from the reactor core to the heat sink and the availability of heat sink itself. If the either of them is degraded, it is taken for granted d that protected slow meltdown follows. However, the reactor core can be prevented from any damage or meltdown if the decay heat can be removed through MCS. The plant thermohydraulics of the procected accidents is analyzed using SSC-L to develop success criteria in the decay heat removal by the MCS. Parametric calculations are performed with respect to: available heat capacity in the heat transport system, cooling time before the loss-of-heat-sink and MCS starting time. It has been found, for example, that (1)MCS can remove the decay heat immediately after the reactor shutdown if heat capacity of more than two main coolant loops is available; (2)after two hours cooling time by natual circulation, MCS can remove the decay heat even if no coolant flow is assumed in all the main heat transport system; (3)LORL caused by the failure in sodium make-up can be recovered by the MCS operation. In the PLOHS condition, the coolant temperature may exceed conservative design limit of the MCS piping. However, the conservativeness of the design limit and the method of qualification make compensation for the deterioration in structural strength. Finally, ...