Test program in support of the Westinghouse advanced light water reactor

As part of the nuclear industy effort to enhance the economy and safety of nuclear power, a significant effort has been investigated by DOE, EPRI, utilities, and vendors to develop the Advanced Light Water Reactor (ALWR). The conceptual design of a 600 MWe PWR, the AP600, is being sponsored by DOE, EPRI, and Westinghouse. In support of this development, an experimental program is being carried out in order to demonstrate the viability of the newly developed concepts. This paper reviews some of the experiments which demonstrate that the innovative design of the AP600 is viable, safe, and efficient. These experiments are: high inertia rotor, passive residual heat removal, passive containment cooling, and in-core instrumentation tests. (orig.)