Analysis and Estimation of Core Damage Frequency of Flow Blockage and Loss of Coolant Accident: A Case Study of a 10 MW Water-Water Research Reactor-PSA Level 1

Fault trees (FT) and event trees (ET) are widely used in industry to model and evaluate the reliability of safety systems. This work seeks to analyze and estimate the core damage frequency (CDF) due to flow blockage (FB) and loss of coolant accident (LOCA) due to large rupture of primary circuit pip...

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Main Authors: F. Ameyaw, R. Abrefah, S. Yamoah, S. Birikorang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/9423176
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author F. Ameyaw
R. Abrefah
S. Yamoah
S. Birikorang
author_facet F. Ameyaw
R. Abrefah
S. Yamoah
S. Birikorang
author_sort F. Ameyaw
collection DOAJ
description Fault trees (FT) and event trees (ET) are widely used in industry to model and evaluate the reliability of safety systems. This work seeks to analyze and estimate the core damage frequency (CDF) due to flow blockage (FB) and loss of coolant accident (LOCA) due to large rupture of primary circuit pipe with respect to a specific 10 MW Water-Water Research Reactor in Ghana using the FT and ET technique. Using FT, the following reactor safety systems: reactor protection system, primary heat removal system, isolation of the reactor pool, emergency core cooling system (ECCS), natural circulation heat removal, and isolation of the containment were evaluated for their dependability. The probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) Level 1 was conducted using a commercial computational tool, system analysis program for practical coherent reliability assessment (SAPHIRE) 7.0. The frequency of an accident resulting in severe core damage for the internal initiating event was estimated to be 2.51e − 4/yr for the large LOCA as well as 1.45e − 4/yr for FB, culminating in a total core damage frequency of 3.96e − 4/yr. The estimated values for the frequencies of core damage were within the expected margins of 1.0e − 5/yr to 1.0e − 4/yr and of identical sequence of the extent as found for similar reactors.
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spelling doaj-art-5a83ec0bed4847efbd41b7761238f34d2025-08-20T02:05:28ZengWileyScience and Technology of Nuclear Installations1687-60751687-60832021-01-01202110.1155/2021/94231769423176Analysis and Estimation of Core Damage Frequency of Flow Blockage and Loss of Coolant Accident: A Case Study of a 10 MW Water-Water Research Reactor-PSA Level 1F. Ameyaw0R. Abrefah1S. Yamoah2S. Birikorang3Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaGraduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaGraduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaNuclear Regulatory Authority, Ghana Houses 1 & 2 Neutron Avenue, P. O. Box AE 50 Atomic–Kwabenya, Accra, GhanaFault trees (FT) and event trees (ET) are widely used in industry to model and evaluate the reliability of safety systems. This work seeks to analyze and estimate the core damage frequency (CDF) due to flow blockage (FB) and loss of coolant accident (LOCA) due to large rupture of primary circuit pipe with respect to a specific 10 MW Water-Water Research Reactor in Ghana using the FT and ET technique. Using FT, the following reactor safety systems: reactor protection system, primary heat removal system, isolation of the reactor pool, emergency core cooling system (ECCS), natural circulation heat removal, and isolation of the containment were evaluated for their dependability. The probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) Level 1 was conducted using a commercial computational tool, system analysis program for practical coherent reliability assessment (SAPHIRE) 7.0. The frequency of an accident resulting in severe core damage for the internal initiating event was estimated to be 2.51e − 4/yr for the large LOCA as well as 1.45e − 4/yr for FB, culminating in a total core damage frequency of 3.96e − 4/yr. The estimated values for the frequencies of core damage were within the expected margins of 1.0e − 5/yr to 1.0e − 4/yr and of identical sequence of the extent as found for similar reactors.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/9423176
spellingShingle F. Ameyaw
R. Abrefah
S. Yamoah
S. Birikorang
Analysis and Estimation of Core Damage Frequency of Flow Blockage and Loss of Coolant Accident: A Case Study of a 10 MW Water-Water Research Reactor-PSA Level 1
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
title Analysis and Estimation of Core Damage Frequency of Flow Blockage and Loss of Coolant Accident: A Case Study of a 10 MW Water-Water Research Reactor-PSA Level 1
title_full Analysis and Estimation of Core Damage Frequency of Flow Blockage and Loss of Coolant Accident: A Case Study of a 10 MW Water-Water Research Reactor-PSA Level 1
title_fullStr Analysis and Estimation of Core Damage Frequency of Flow Blockage and Loss of Coolant Accident: A Case Study of a 10 MW Water-Water Research Reactor-PSA Level 1
title_full_unstemmed Analysis and Estimation of Core Damage Frequency of Flow Blockage and Loss of Coolant Accident: A Case Study of a 10 MW Water-Water Research Reactor-PSA Level 1
title_short Analysis and Estimation of Core Damage Frequency of Flow Blockage and Loss of Coolant Accident: A Case Study of a 10 MW Water-Water Research Reactor-PSA Level 1
title_sort analysis and estimation of core damage frequency of flow blockage and loss of coolant accident a case study of a 10 mw water water research reactor psa level 1
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/9423176
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