Mitigation Strategies of Beyond Design Basis Accidents (BDBA) in a CANDU Nuclear Power Plant

Abstract

The Fukushima nuclear accident of March 2011 has changed the nuclear industry worldwide. Nuclear power plants around the world are working to prevent Beyond Design Basis Accidents (BDBAs) like the Fukushima accident and to mitigate the damage when they do occur. One multiunit Canadian utility has taken a multi-pronged approach, which promotes physical and philosophical diversity for preventing and/or minimizing the progression of a BDBA. The phased approach provides new system connections for delivering emergency makeup water to the primary reactor heat sink via independent and external Emergency Mitigation Equipment pumps. This paper presents the strategies of a CANDU nuclear power to prepare for nuclear power plant BDBA like the Fukushima accident.