SEVERE ACCIDENT CONTAINMENT LOADS AND POSSIBLE DESIGN CONCEPTS OF FUTURE LARGE PRESSURIZED-WATER REACTORS

\The risk of present-day light water reactors is dominated by the cons equences of core melt accidents followed by a failure of the outer con tainment. Although such events would have very low frequencies of occu rrence, their risk cannot be neglected in the future. Therefore, speci fications for mechanical loads and heat loads to the containment are a nalyzed, and design modifications are proposed, explaining how the con tainment can withstand the consequences of core melts. As a result, th e radiological impact outside of the containment will be drastically d ecreased. Evacuation of the population outside of the reactor plant wi ll no longer be necessary in the case of a core melt.