The accident at Fukushima Daiichi NPPs presented challenges with respect to severe accident analysis capability, because of the multiunit nature of the event and the long timescales involved. During the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPPs, safety assessors in the IAEA had to use quick running methods with little information about both the accident evolution and the design of the plants to estimate progress of core damage for this complicated event. The difficulty of conducting this accident analysis highlighted a gap in the information available during accidents. Efforts are underway to improve the availability of information about the accident progression, but work remains to close the gap regarding basic plant design information.
In order to enhance safety assessments during an accident at nuclear installations, it would be required to have timely access to plant information necessary to predict accidental progression. Therefore, there is a need to develop a Safety Assessment Database designed to rapidly share design information to simulate accident progression during events at both nuclear power reactors and research reactors.
Objective
This project is intended to develop a safety assessment database for safety assessment tools by sharing data exchange with reactor vendors and regulators. The activity is expected to assist in rapidly and effectively responding to short-term safety assessment needs during accident conditions, to allow safety assessment advice to the IAEA IEC.