DISCUSSION Session 11 : Safety Aspects of Fuel

International Conference on Nuclear Fuel Performance

K. PRINCE UKAEA Risley

Table 1 of Paper 80 lists the various categories of accident condition. There appears to be an anomaly in regard to boiler tube failure, which might have implications on plant design. If the failure of a tube is to be incredible under depressurisation when there could be stress or temperature perturbations on the tube, then surely tube failure must be incredible in the absence of depressurisation. In which case there would be no need for filtration or holding of coolant downstream of the safety valves. I suggest that there might be a finite but small probability of tube failure.