[KSCI] Korea Science Citation Index Service

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2020.07.034

Performing a multi-unit level-3 PSA with MACCS

Bixler, Nathan E. (Sandia National Laboratories)
Kim, Sung-yeop (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute)

Publication Information

Nuclear Engineering and Technology / v.53, no.2, 2021 , pp. 386-392 More about this Journal

Abstract

MACCS (MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System), WinMACCS, and MelMACCS now facilitate a multi-unit consequence analysis. MACCS evaluates the consequences of an atmospheric release of radioactive gases and aerosols into the atmosphere and is most commonly used to perform probabilistic safety assessments (PSAs) and related consequence analyses for nuclear power plants (NPPs). WinMACCS is a user-friendly preprocessor for MACCS. MelMACCS extracts source-term information from a MELCOR plot file. The current development can combine an arbitrary number of source terms, representing simultaneous releases from a multi-unit facility, into a single consequence analysis. The development supports different release signatures, fission product inventories, and accident initiation times for each unit. The treatment is completely general except that the model is currently limited to collocated units. A major practical consideration for performing a multi-unit PSA is that a comprehensive treatment for more than two units may involve an intractable number of combinations of source terms. This paper proposes and evaluates an approach for reducing the number of calculations to be tractable, even for sites with eight or ten units. The approximation error introduced by the approach is acceptable and is considerably less than other errors and uncertainties inherent in a Level 3 PSA.

Keywords

MACCS; PRA; Multi-unit; PSA; Consequence analysis;

Citations & Related Records

Reference

1	N. Bixler, R. Gauntt, J. Jones, M. Leonard, State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analyses Project, Volume 1: Peach Bottom Integrated Analysis and Volume 2: Surry Integrated Analysis, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 1&2, NUREG/CR-7110, 2013. Revision 1.
2	K. Ross, N. Bixler, S. Weber, C. Sallaberry, J. Jones, T. Ghosh, State-of-the-Art reactor consequence analyses project uncertainty analysis of the unmitigated short-term station blackout of the surry power station, U.S. Nuclear regulatory commission, Draft Report to Be Published, https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1522/ML15224A001.pdf.
3	B.J. Garrick, K.N. Fleming, et al., Seabrook Station Probabilistic Safety Assessment eSection 13.3 Risk of Two Unit Station, Pickard, Lowe and Garrick, Inc., 1983. PLG-0300.
4	N. Bixler, F. Walton, L. Eubanks, R. Haaker, K. McFadden, J. Barr, MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System (MACCS) Users Guide and Reference Manual, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2020. Draft Report to Be Published in.
5	Sandia National Laboratories, State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analysis (Soarca) Project: Sequoyah Integrated Deterministic And Uncertainty Analyses, U.S. Nuclear regulatory commission, 2020. Draft Report to Be Published, https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1715/ML17156A270.pdf.
6	S. Schroer, An Event Classification Schema for Considering Site Risk In A Multi-Unit Nuclear Power Plant Probabilistic Risk Assessment, Master's Thesis, University of Maryland, 2012, http://hdl.handle.net/1903/14761.
7	S.Y. Kim, Y.H. Jung, S.H. Han, S.J. Han, H.G. Lim, Multi-unit Level 3 probabilistic safety assessment: approaches and their application to a six-unit nuclear power plant site, Nuclear Eng. Technol. 50 (2018) 1246-1254, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2018.09.019. DOI
8	H. Ding, J. Tong, W. Raskob, L. Zhang, An approach for radiological consequence assessment under unified temporal and spatial coordinates considering multi-reactor accidents, Ann. Nucl. Energy 127 (2019) 450-458, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2018.12.024. DOI
9	R. Chang, J. Schaperow, T. Ghosh, J. Barr, C. Tinkler, M. Stutzke, State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analyses (Soarca) Report, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2012. NUREG-1935 Parts 1 & 2.
10	Sandia National Laboratories, State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analyses Project: Uncertainty Analysis of the Unmitigated Long-Term Station Blackout of the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NUREG/CR-7155, 2020. Draft Report to Be Published, https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1318/ML13189A145.pdf.