Concept Design and Safety Features of Nuclear Power Plants Mounted on Gravity Based Structures

Abstract

Here, we summarize our recent study on the development of a new concept of an offshore nuclear power plant (ONPP) which uses a system-integrated modular advanced reactor (SMART) and the Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR1400), which were recently developed by the Republic of Korea. The proposed concept has enhanced safety features against earthquakes and tsunamis. The key idea is to mount NPPs on gravity based structures (GBSs), which have been widely used for offshore plants. They are typically made from steel-reinforced concrete in dry docks and are tugged to the destination site after being floated, meaning that the GBSs are transportable. Then, they sit on the seabed and bear the entire external load with their own weight during operation. This concept can be applied to a large-scale NPP and to SMR. We introduce the new concept, including the design parameters, design requirements, and the new total general arrangement. The inherent safety characteristics of GBS-type ONPPs against earthquakes and tsunamis are also briefly discussed. In addition, new passive cooling systems were devised and developed to enhance the inherent safety of the passive cooling systems of GBS-type ONPPs.