Advances in the reliability assessment of reactor systems

A discussion is presented on the problem of how sites may be specified for power reactors in thickly populated countries, such as the U.K. Matters dealt with include the following: classification of sites as remote, semi-urban and urban; accidental releases of radioactivity; scale of probabilities for accidents; status of reliability analysis; comparison of reactor risks with other risks and acceptable risks from nuclear power; the coolant reliability problem; comparison of effort devoted to small accidents as against large accidents; the Systems Relibaility Service and the National Center of Systems Reliability; data analysis; the computerised Event Data Store; collaboration with industry; laboratory type research; pressure vessel testing; effects of an aircraft crash on a reactor; and fast reactor considerations. (U.K.)