Experience in plant transients: The Swedish RKS program

This chapter discusses the collection, evaluation and feedback of information about incidents and transients in Swedish and foreign nuclear reactors. The Three Mile Island-2 accident demonstrated that a more structured system for experience feedback was needed to ensure a cumulative learning process from precursor incidents and transients. Topics considered include the Swedish transient data base, statistical trends of plant transients, the root causes of transients, and the impacts of plant transients (the impact on plant safety, the impact on plant availability). The Swedish plants have experienced only one transient sequence which could be classified as an abnormal occurrence (a small loss-of-coolant accident in the Ringhals 2). It is concluded that for increased knowledge and protection, the Swedish nuclear industry has to rely upon international operating experiences