A SCHEME FOR PASSIVE ISOLATION OF THE CONTAINMENT OF A REACTOR

Release of radioactivity to the environment in the event of an acciden t in a reactor can be limited if the containment maintains structural integrity and the isolation system functions properly. A passive isola tion scheme will reduce the risk further. This article proposes a pass ive isolation scheme for an Indian pressurized heavy-water reactor. Th e scheme works by creating water seals in the ventilation duct when th e pressure in the containment rises after an accident. Formation of th e seals is studied by solving the one-dimensional hydrodynamic equatio ns. Results are presented for various assumed geometrical and hydrauli c parameters and pressure transients in the containment.