An On-Line Pressurizer Surveillance System Design to Prevent Small-Break Loss-of-Coolant Accidents Through Power-Operated Relief Valves Using a Microcomputer

A small-break loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) caused by a stuck-open power-operated relief valve is one of the important contributors to nuclear power plant risk. A pressurizer surveillance system was designed to use a microcomputer to prevent the malfunction of the system; the effect of this improvement has been assessed through probabilistic risk assessment. The microcomputer diagnoses the malfunction of the system by a process-checking method and automatically performs the backup action related to each malfunction. This improvement means that we can correctly diagnose “spurious opening,” “failure to reclose,” and “small-break LOCA,” which are difficult for operators to diagnose quickly and correctly, and by taking automatic backup action we can reduce the probability of human error.