Combined loss of primary and secondary coolant AC pump power design-basis event for the K-reactor safety analysis report

The combined loss of alternating-current (ac) power to the primary coolant and secondary coolant system pumps has been included as a design-basis event in Chap. 15 of the safety analysis report for the K reactor at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River site (SRS) nuclear materials production complex near Aiken, South Carolina. This event can arise from a disruption of the entire 115-kV SRS power grid or a lesser disturbance affecting the K-reactor area, combined with a failure of the standby emergency power sources. The first scenario is referred to as a open-quotes station blackout,close quotes and the second scenario is designated as a open-quotes mini-blackout.close quotes This is a condition-11 event (incident of moderate frequency) per the criterion (frequency of occurrence ≥ 1 x 10-6 per year) for credible eventualities in the design-basis envelope. The event causes the primary coolant flow to drop and stabilize at ∼27% of its full level (5.83 + 05 ell/min). Likewise, the secondary coolant flow drops and settles also at ∼27% of its full level (6.36 x 105 ell/min). The final primary coolant flow is maintained by the reduced pumping provided by diesel powered direct-current motors. The final secondary coolant flow is driven by gravity from the height differential between the supply and discharge basins. Both flows coast down gradually due to the action of flywheels in all of the six primary coolant pumps and in two of the ten secondary coolant pumps