Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table for the APR-1400 Main Steam Line Break

A phenomena identification and ranking table(PIRT) was developed for a main steam line break (MSLB) event for the Advanced Power Reactor-1400 (APR-1400). The selectee event was a double-ended steam line break at full power, with the reactor coolant pump running. The developmental panel selected the fuel performance as the primary safety criterion during the ranking process. The plant design data, the results of the APR-1400 safety analysis, and the results of an additional best-estimate analysis by the MARS computer code were used in the development of the PIRT. The period of the transient was composed of three phases: pre-trip, rapid cool-down, and safety injection. Based on the relative importance to the primary evaluation criterion, the ranking of each system, component, and phenomenon/process was performed for each time phase. Finally, the knowledge-level for each important process for certain components was ranked in terms of existing knowledge. The PIRT can be used as a guide for planning cost-effective experimental programs and for code development efforts, especially for the quantification of those processes and/or phenomena that are highly important, but not well understood.