Risk-oriented Design Modifications for the CAREM-25 Prototype

J. BARÓN; J. NÚÑEZ MC LEOD; S. RIVERA

Tokio, Japan

Congreso; Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management Conference; 2000

International Association for Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management

The CAREM-25 prototype is a 25 Mw(e) nuclear power plant designed to operate independently of any external power supply, during normal operation or at any accident condition. It has a compact PWR-like design. The prototype is scheduled to be built in Argentina in the coming years.A Level III PSA was performed for this prototype in 1996, and the risk results indicated very low risk levels, both in absolute value and in comparison to other PSAs. Later on, several risk-oriented design improvements were incorporated in the basic design, and the result was a substantial reduction in the risk figures for this prototype, further enhancing the safety of the plant. The overall risk figures were reduced by two orders of magnitude.The risk perspective proved to be a valuable point of view, and the concept of a living PSA was used as the tool to quantitatively evaluate the design modifications, before the final design of the plant.