Date of Award
2006
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Engineering Science
Program
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Supervisor
Dr. Jin Jiang
Abstract
In this thesis, the surveillance test interval for shutdown systems in a nuclear power plant has been investigated through both mathematical analysis and computer simulations. The thesis emphasizes the fact that, in testing a shutdown system, one not only has to consider the benefit ofshort test intervals (i.e. more frequent tests), but also has to know the risks and consequences of introducing potential spurious trips. Such a problem has been formulated analytically using two probabilistic models in this thesis. Based on these two models, the effects of surveillance test intervals on the availability of the overall system as well as on the core damage probability have been thoroughly examined in this thesis. Throughout the analysis, the Shut Down System Number 1 (SDSl) in a CANDU based nuclear power plant has been used. The first model uses a Markov process to quantify the Imavailability and the probability of spurious trips as a function of the surveillance test interval. The second model examines the effect ofthe unavailability and the spurious trip probability on the core damage probability by considering failures of Class IV power source in the station. Through the analytical analysis and computer simulations, the thesis concludes that there exists an optimal test interval for such type of systems. The probability of the core damage will, in fact, be higher when either a shorter or a longer test interval is used. The thesis not only formulates this practical problem for arriving at an easy solution, it also provides a tool from which the optimal surveillance test interval can be determined to provide the lowest core damage probability.
Recommended Citation
Cho, Sungwhan, "Design and Analysis of the Surveillance Test Intervals for Shutdown Systems" (2006). Digitized Theses. 4998.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4998