Structural Integrity of Reactor Pressure Vessel for Small Break Loss of Coolant Accident

Abstract

Plant-specific analyses of the typical pressurized water reactor in Korea are performed to assure the structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel during transient, which is expected to initiate pressurized thermal shock event. The deterministic analysis is performed to determine the critical time interval in the transient during which mitigating action can be effective. Also, the failure probability is obtained by performing probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis. In addition, several sensitivity analyses are performed for warm prestressing, plastic zone correction, and simulation option to calculate fracture toughness etc. to assess its effect on the failure probability.