The core catcher. From research and development towards realization

The development of core catcher systems for the EPR being built in Olkiluoto/Finland will be part of a significant step towards an improved safety concept. The consequences of a severe accident are supposed to be limited to the reactor building, emergency measures outside the plant will be obsolete. The core catcher is supposed to ensure the structural integrity of the containment by long-term stabilization and cooling of the corium following a meltdown accident. The principle of the core catcher is the spreading of the molten core over an area of 170 m(exp 2). The core catcher is an assembly of cast iron elements that covered with special concrete for protection and melt conditioning, the whole weight is about 400 Mg.