• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.10-21
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• 1987

Uncertainty analysis of the FLB accident is performed for KNU-1 using the response surface methodology and Monte Carlo simulation. The FLB analyses using the RELAP4/Mod6 were performed a number of times to generate the data base for the uncertainty analysis, along with the EM calculation for comparison purpose. Two kinds of input sets are utilized for response surface method to investigate and compare the effects of the uncertainty of input variables on the RCS peak pressure following a FLB. The first set is composed of six major plant operational parameters and the second set is composed of five major modelling parameters. It is found through the analysis of results that the uncertainties of modelling parameters have more influence on the RCS peak pressure than the uncertainties of plant operational parameters and that the extra margin of 9% of peak pressure is gained. And one of the assumptions of EM calculation, which is usually accepted as conservative is found to be erroneous, that is, the initial core inlet temperature is found to act negatively on the RCS pressure following a FLB.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2534-2546
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• 2021

Nuclear emergency preparedness and response is an essential part to ensure the safety of nuclear power plant (NPP). Key support technologies of nuclear emergency decision-making usually consist of accident diagnosis, source term estimation, accident consequence assessment, and protective action recommendation. Source term estimation is almost the most difficult part among them. For example, bad communication, incomplete information, as well as complicated accident scenario make it hard to determine the reactor status and estimate the source term timely in the Fukushima accident. Subsequently, it leads to the hard decision on how to take appropriate emergency response actions. Hence, this paper aims to develop a method for rapid source term estimation to support nuclear emergency decision making in pressurized water reactor NPP. The method aims to make our knowledge on NPP provide better support nuclear emergency. Firstly, this paper studies how to build a Bayesian network model for the NPP based on professional knowledge and engineering knowledge. This paper presents a method transforming the PRA model (event trees and fault trees) into a corresponding Bayesian network model. To solve the problem that some physical phenomena which are modeled as pivotal events in level 2 PRA, cannot find sensors associated directly with their occurrence, a weighted assignment approach based on expert assessment is proposed in this paper. Secondly, the monitoring data of NPP are provided to the Bayesian network model, the real-time status of pivotal events and initiating events can be determined based on the junction tree algorithm. Thirdly, since PRA knowledge can link the accident sequences to the possible release categories, the proposed method is capable to find the most likely release category for the candidate accidents scenarios, namely the source term. The probabilities of possible accident sequences and the source term are calculated. Finally, the prototype software is checked against several sets of accident scenario data which are generated by the simulator of AP1000-NPP, including large loss of coolant accident, loss of main feedwater, main steam line break, and steam generator tube rupture. The results show that the proposed method for rapid source term estimation under nuclear emergency decision making is promising.