Heat and fluid flow in accident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 3 (Behaviour of high pressure coolant injection system (HPCI) based on thermodynamic model)

Abstract

Inorder to clarify the process of Accident of Fukushima Nuclear Plants, an accident scenario of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 3 is analyzed from the data open to the public. Phase equilibrium process model was introduced in which the vapor and water are at saturation point in the vessels. The present accident scenario assumes that the high pressure coolant injection system (HPCI) did not worked properly, but the steam in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) leaked through the turbine of HPCI to the suppression chamber since 12/3/2011 12:35. It is assumed that the Tsunami flooded the torus room where the suppression chamber was placed. Proposed accident scenario agrees with the data of the plant parameters obtained just after the accident. It is estimated that the water injection by HPIC was stopped since around at 13/3 19:00 and the water level in RPV decreased since then. It is estimated that the RPV broke at 14/3 8:55 and water could injected from fire engines due to the depression due to the rupture of RPV. There was little water left in RPV at the time of the rupture. If the present scenario is correct, the behavior that operators in the plant stopped HPCI at 13/3 2:42 did not affect seriously on the RPV rupture. If HPCI was working properly until the operators stopped it, the plant parameters obtained in the accident cannot be explained.