PASSIVE ADVANCED LIGHT-WATER REACTOR DESIGNS AND THE ALPHA-PROGRAM ATTHE PAUL-SCHERRER-INSTITUTE

A number of passive Advanced Light Water Reactor designs have been pro posed worldwide. The Paul Scherrer Institute has participated since 19 91, via its ALPHA programs, together with a number of overseas and Eur opean partners, in several of these developments. The PANDA, LINX-2 an d AIDA facilities were designed constructed and extensively used to st udy containment cooling and aerosol retention aspects of passive Advan ced Light Water Reactor designs. During the ALPHA-I phase of the progr am, the effort concentrated on the Simplified Boiling Water Reactor. B oth, the boiling water reactor (ESBWR, SWR-1000) as well as the pressu rized water reactor passive designs (in particular designs with double concrete containment, such as the European Passive Plant) are the foc us of the current phase ALPHA-II. This second phase includes the TEPSS , IPSS and INCON projects conducted under the sponsorship of the Europ ean Commission. The paper describes briefly the PANDA and LINX-2 facil ities reviews the scope and accomplishments of the ALPHA project, and summarizes certain project findings to date. The emphasis here is on t he long-term containment cooling aspects of the project.