The seismic safety of HIFAR
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Date
1995-10
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Abstract
The 10 MW Research Reactor HIFAR is located on the edge of the Sydney conurbation. The possibility of a seismic event in this region which might damage HIFAR and lead to a release of fission products is very small but cannot be dismissed. The nature of seismic events is discussed and the local seismology has been studied, leading to estimates of the size of an event within a 10,000 y return period and of the likelihood of other sized events. The safety significant features of HIFAR are described , and the effects that seismic events of varying size might have on these features are considered. It is judged that the primary coolant circuit will withstand the 10,000 y event without failure.
For very large events, a loss of coolant accident could occur, leading to fission product release. The likelihood and consequences of such events, in terms of radiation doses to the surrounding population, have been estimated. The best estimate of the likelihood that fission products might escape from the building is once in 45,000 years. The best estimate of the effective dose to the worst affected individual is 1.3mSv, less than the annual background dose in the Sydney region. The seismic safety of HIFAR has been assessed in the context of the proposed regulatory objectives of the Nuclear Safety Bureau. HIFAR is judged to meet these objectives.
Description
Keywords
HIFAR Reactor, Seismicity, Radiation doses, Fission product release
Citation
Corran, E. R. (1995). The seismic safety of HIFAR (ANSTO/E723). Lucas Heights, NSW: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation.