SRS's production reactor severe-accident issues

Severe accident behavior in Al-U metal-fueled production reactors is sufficiently different from commercial oxide-fueled reactors that an ongoing research and development (R and D) effort is needed to resolve issues specific to metal-fueled systems. The severe-accident program at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is based on light water reactor (LWR) technology when appropriate. A direct application of severe-accident phenomena technology developed from oxide-fueled LWRs to metal-fueled heavy water reactors (HWRs) can lead to large errors or substantial uncertainties. The value of applying severe-accident LWR concepts to Al-U-fueled HWRs is in defining the relevant issues, defining differences, and in determining areas of overlap. The paper provides a summary of the major issues and phenomena affecting severe-accident response in a metal-fueled HWR and an LWR. SRS has an aggressive ongoing research and development effort that is identifying and finding solutions to a wide range of issues for beyond-design-basis severe accidents