PRELIMINARY SAFETY STUDY OF ENGINEERING-SCALE PYROPROCESS FACILITY

Pyroprocess technology has been considered as a fuel cycle option to solve the spent fuel accumulation problems in Korea. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has been studying pyroprocess technology, and the conceptual design of an engineering-scale pyroprocess facility, called the Advanced Fuel Cycle (AFC) facility, has been performed on the basis of a 10tHM throughput per year. In this paper, the concept of the AFC facility was introduced, and its safety evaluations were performed. For the safety evaluations, anticipated accident events were selected, and environmental safety analyses were conducted for the safety of the public and workers. In addition, basic radiation shielding safety analyses and criticality safety analyses were conducted. These preliminary safety studies will be used to specify the concept of safety systems for pyroprocess facilities, and to establish safety design policies and advance more definite safety designs.