Application of PSA to model facility for MOX fuel fabrication

Tamaki, Hitoshi ; Yoshida, Kazuo ; Hamaguchi, Yoshikane*

A PSA is a comprehensive and structured method for assessing the safety of a nuclear facility. This method also provides risk information that could be applied to effective regulatory activities for nuclear facilities and so on. A PSA procedure for MOX fuel fabrication facility has been developed at JAEA. This procedure consists of two steps. One is called as preliminary PSA using simple methods for likelihood and consequence evaluation through whole processes in the facility. The other step is called as detailed PSA and is carried out to evaluate risk of the significant events using methods corresponding to level 1 PSA and level 2 PSA for nuclear power plants. The procedure was applied to a practical model facility based on process information and handling quantities of materials from the planned MOX fabrication plant to understand risks at whole processes in the model facility. A risk-profile, which consisted of dominant accident sequences, was also obtained through this analysis.