FEASIBILITY AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR THE STEP LOSS OF COOLANT FACILITY

A summary of studies conducted on the pressurizedwater reactor loss-of- coolant accident is presented, and an experimental safety program is proposed. The various phenomena involved in the loss-of-coolant accident, related research and development programs, assumptions currently used to predict the various physical phenomena, and the general approach to be used in conducting the safety tests are discussed. In order to accomplish the loss-of-coolant experimental safety program, a dry containment test facility is proposed for construction at the Test Area North of the National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho. The site selection utilizes existing support facilities suited for performing nuclear safety tests requiring experiment assembly areas and post-test analytical examination of the irradiated nuclear components. (auth