NE 167/267: Nuclear Reactor Safety: Class Website
Objectives and Term Project
PRELIMINARY
SAFETY ANALYSIS REPORT (PSAR)
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this term project are:
- To introduce you to the regulatory requirements and the safety issues related to the licensing of a complex engineered facility such as a nuclear (fission or fusion) power plant.
- To give you some experience in preparing safety analyses and presenting their results for use in licensing, and
- To introduce you to some of the societal issues surrounding the design, construction and operation of such a plant.
PROJECT
To achieve these objectives, the class will be divided into groups of approximately four students each. Each group will have the opportunity to play three roles as follows:
- Applicant: Preparation and presentation of the safety analyses necessary for obtaining a Construction Permit (CP).
- Regulator: Preparation of the information required for evaluation of the Applicant’s proposal in the form of a Safety Evaluation Report (SER).
- Intervenor: Preparation of information necessary for a case against issuance of the CP.
- Three reactors (as described below) will be assessed for possible construction on the Diablo Canyon Site. The roles will be as follows:
| Reactor 1 |
Reactor 2 |
Reactor 3 |
Reactor 4 |
|
| Applicant |
Group 1 |
Group 2 |
Group 3 |
Group 4 |
| Regulator |
Group 4 |
Group 1 |
Group 2 |
Group 3 |
| Intervenor |
Group 3 |
Group 4 |
Group 1 |
Group 2 |
REACTORS
- Reactor 1 can be a Boiling Water Reactor (SBWR, ABWR or ESBWR).
- Reactor 2 can be a Pressurized Water Reactor (The C.E. System 80, AP-600 or AP 1000.
- Reactor 3 can be the Modular High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (MHTGR).
- Reactor 4 can be a Liquid Metal Cooled Reactor (LMR).
Information regarding each of these reactors is available in the Department as well as information on the Diablo Canyon site. This information, along with current (and proposed, if applicable) Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations, rules and Policy Statements shall be used to the extent possible. Additional analyses or design changes should be made where necessary or where requested (within reason). You are also free to request additional information from the vendors (e.g., G.E., Westinghouse, etc.) but this should be kept to a minimum. If additional Vendor data is used it should be cited.
GROUND RULES
HEARINGS WILL BE HELD FOLLOWING THE LAST WEEK OF CLASS, DURING THE DEAD PERIOD BEFORE FINAL EXAMS. THERE WILL BE NO FINAL EXAM.
For the hearings each group will prepare presentations as follows:
- Applicant - 2 hours
- Regulator - 1/2 hour
- Intervenor - 1/4 hour
A Safety Review Board will be convened and will ask questions, request further information or may cross-examine presenters.
ALL SUPPORTING MATERIAL MUCT BE AVAILABLE FOR THE SAFETY REVIEW BOARD BY DECEMBER 7, 2004.
Viewgraphs should be handed out at the time of each presentation.
Final grades will be based on both written material (the PSAR) and the presentations (technical content) with roughly 50% based on being an applicant and 25% each for being regulator and intervenor.
By the second class period each Applicant will state the design they wish to have constructed.
There will be three or more Group Presentations in Class as scheduled.
Coordinator:
W.E. Kastenberg
