Analysis of the safety of a PWR nuclear power plant, major nuclear catastrophes and simulations of critical points in its operation
This paper examines the safety of a pressurised water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant, the most widely used type of reactor in the world. It examines its passive and active safety systems, its resilience to operational failures and external hazards and its emergency response capacity. To highlight...
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| Format: | master thesis |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repository: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Language: | English |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/456109 |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/456109 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Nuclear reactors--Safety measures Reactors nuclears--Mesures de seguretat Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Energies::Energia nuclear |
| Summary: | This paper examines the safety of a pressurised water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant, the most widely used type of reactor in the world. It examines its passive and active safety systems, its resilience to operational failures and external hazards and its emergency response capacity. To highlight the importance of these systems, the two major catastrophes in the history of nuclear energy are studied: Fukushima (2011) and Chernobyl (1986). The Chernobyl accident highlighted the risks of poor design and the lack of an adequate safety culture, which led to an uncontrolled explosion of the RBMK reactor. On the other hand, Fukushima demonstrated the vulnerability of plants to extreme natural disasters, when a tsunami overwhelmed the plant's protections and caused the meltdown of three reactors. Following these major accidents, safety measures have been taken that will be analysed in detail and that aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future; improvements have been incorporated in design, protocols and regulations, which have significantly increased its safety and reliability in the production of nuclear energy. On the other hand, in this study the simulation of the integrated Pressurized Water Reactor (iPWR) will be used to analyze the safety mechanisms under critical operating conditions and it will be carried out at its most critical operating moments, to observe how the plant should operate in these scenarios. This simulation can be used to make a comparison with a plant and to identify alterations and irregularities in its operation. |
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