The advanced accumulator: A new passive ECCS component of the APWR

Abstract

With the increased requirement for nuclear power generation as an effective countermeasure against global warming, Mitsubishi has developed the advanced pressurized water reactor (APWR) by adopting a new component of the emergency core cooling system (ECCS), a new instrumentation and control system, and other newfound improvements. The ECCS introduces a new passive component called the Advanced Accumulator which integrates both functions of the conventional accumulator and the low-pressure pump without any moving parts. The Advanced Accumulator uses a new fluidics device that automatically controls flow rates of injected water in case of a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). This fluidics device is referred to as a flow damper. In this chapter, the Advanced Accumulator is introduced from the background of its development to its principle, with some experimental results. Furthermore, the features of the flow damper are explained in detail. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.