• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.1513-1525
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• 2024

An improved mitigation system for thermally-induced steam generator tube rupture accidents was introduced to prevent direct environmental release of fission products bypassing the containment in the OPR1000. This involves injecting bypassed steam into the containment, cooling, and decontaminating it using a water coolant tank. To evaluate its performance, a severe accident analysis was performed using the MELCOR 2.2 code for OPR1000. Simulation results show that the proposed system sufficiently prevented the release of radioactive nuclides (RNs) into the environment via containment injection. The pool scrubbing system effectively decontaminated the injected RN and consequently reduced the aerosol mass in the containment atmosphere. However, the decay heat of the collected RNs causes re-vaporization. To restrict the re-vaporization, an external water source was considered, where the decontamination performance was significantly improved, and the RNs were effectively isolated. However, due to the continuous evaporation of the feed water caused by decay heat, a substantial amount of steam is released into the containment. Despite the slight pressurization inside the containment by the injected and evaporated steam, the steam decreased the hydrogen mole fraction, thereby reducing the possibility of ignition.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2020

Creep rupture data for Alloy 690 steam generator tubes in a pressurized water reactor are essentially needed to demonstrate a severe accident scenario on thermally-induced tube failures caused by hot gases in a damaged reactor core. The rupture data were obtained using the tube specimens under different applied-stress levels at 650℃, 700℃, 750℃, 800℃, and 850℃. Important creep constants were proposed using various creep laws in terms of Norton power law, Monkman-Grant (M-G) relation, damage tolerance factor (λ), and Zener-Hollomon parameter (Z). In addition, a creep activation energy (Q) value for Alloy 690 tube was reasonably determined using experimental data. Creep behaviors such as creep strength, creep rates, rupture elongation showed the results of temperature dependence well. Modified M-G plot improved a correlation of the creep rate and rupture life. Damage tolerance factor for Alloy 690 tubes was found to be λ =2.20 in an average value. Creep activation energy for Alloy 690 tube was optimized for Q=350 (kJ/mol). A plot of Z parameter obeyed a good linearity, and the same creep mechanism was inferred to be operative in the present test conditions.