Development of dynamic PRA methodology for external hazards in sodium-cooled fast reactor via applying Markov chain Monte Carlo method to severe accident analysis code; Assessment of accident management of assigning independent emergency diesel generators to each air cooler

Li, C.-Y.; Watanabe, Akira*; Uchibori, Akihiro; Okano, Yasushi

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2023/05

Development of dynamic PRA methodology for external hazards (Application of CMMC method to severe accident analysis code)

Li, C.-Y.; Watanabe, Akira*; Uchibori, Akihiro; Okano, Yasushi

Dai-26-Kai Doryoku, Enerugi Gijutsu Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmepes.2022.26.A234

Identifying accident scenarios that could lead to severe accidents and evaluating their frequency of occurrence are essential issues. This study aims to establish the methodology of the dynamic Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) for sodium-cooled fast reactors that can consider the time dependency and the interdependence of each event. Specifically, the Continuous Markov chain Monte Carlo (CMMC) method is newly applied to the SPECTRA code, which analyzes the severe accident conditions of nuclear reactors, to develop an evaluation methodology for typical external hazards. Currently, a fault-tree model of air coolers of decay heat removal system is implemented as the CMMC method, and a series of preliminary analysis of the plant's transient characteristics under the scenario of volcanic ashfall has been conducted.

Sensitivity study on forest fire breakout and propagation conditions for forest fire hazard curve evaluations

Okano, Yasushi; Yamano, Hidemasa

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 4(3), p.16-00517_1 - 16-00517_10, 2017/06

http://doi.org/10.1299/mej.16-00517

A sensitivity study on forest fire hazard curves was performed. The probability fluctuation on forest fire breakout time affects the reaction intensity and the fireline intensity around 4% and 14% respectively. The probability fluctuation on forest fire breakout points affects the hazard curve frequency around +70% to -40%. The probability fluctuation due to forest firefighting operation only affects the frequency of the hazard curves, but not the intensity. The hazard curves without the effect of firefighting remarkably increase around 40 to 80 times in frequency in comparison with those with considering the forest firefighting operation effect outside the plant. This study indicated that the most significant factor in the forest fire hazard risk is whether the forest firefighting operation outside the plant is expected before the forest fire arrival at the plant.

Development of probabilistic risk assessment methodology against extreme snow for sodium-cooled fast reactor

Yamano, Hidemasa; Nishino, Hiroyuki; Kurisaka, Kenichi

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 308, p.86 - 95, 2016/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2016.08.006

This paper describes snow probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) methodology development through external hazard and event sequence evaluations mainly in terms of decay heat removal (DHR) function of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). Using recent 50-year weather data at a typical Japanese SFR site, snow hazard categories were set for the combination of daily snowfall depth (snowfall speed) and snowfall duration which can be calculated by dividing the snow depth by the snowfall speed. For each snow hazard category, the event sequence was evaluated by event trees which consist of several headings representing the loss of DHR. Snow removal action and manual operation of the air cooler dampers were introduced into the event trees as accident managements. Access route failure probability model was also developed for the quantification of the event tree. In this paper, the snow PRA showed less than 10/reactor-year of core damage frequency. The dominant snow hazard category was the combination of 1-2 m/day of snowfall speed and 0.5-0.75 day of snowfall duration. Importance and sensitivity analyses indicated a high risk contribution to secure the access routes.

Severe external hazard on hypothetical JSFR in 2010

Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Kato, Atsushi; Hayafune, Hiroki; Shimakawa, Yoshio*; Kamishima, Yoshio*

Nuclear Technology, 192(2), p.111 - 124, 2015/11

https://doi.org/10.13182/NT14-151

Evaluation of severe external hazards on JSFR has been analyzed. For seismic design, safety components are confirmed to maintain their functions even against recent strong earthquakes. For tsunam, hypothetical station blackout has been evaluated.

Development of risk assessment methodology of decay heat removal function against external hazards for sodium-cooled fast reactors, 1; Project overview and margin assessment methodology against snow

Yamano, Hidemasa; Nishino, Hiroyuki; Kurisaka, Kenichi; Okano, Yasushi; Sakai, Takaaki; Yamamoto, Takahiro*; Ishizuka, Yoshihiro*; Geshi, Nobuo*; Furukawa, Ryuta*; Nanayama, Futoshi*; et al.

Proceedings of 23rd International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-23) (DVD-ROM), 10 Pages, 2015/05

This paper describes mainly snow margin assessment methodology development in addition to the project overview. For the snow margin assessment, the index is a combination of a snowfall rate and duration. Since snow removal can be expected during the snowfall, the developed snow margin assessment methodology is such that the margin was regarded as the snowfall duration up to the decay heat removal failure which was defined as when the snow removal rate was smaller than the snowfall rate.