NuScale's SMR is designed to protect the public, workers, and the environment if
an extreme event occurs. For example:
- Integral reactor design eliminates interfacing pipes and pumps that could potentially
fail, eliminating accidents that are traditionally very challenging, such as a large
break LOCA (Loss of Coolant Accident)
- Vacuum inside containment provides significant unique safety advantages in the event
of a severe accident
- Large reactor pool, in which the modules are submerged, provides assured access
to ultimate heat sink and radiation shielding under all conditions
- Passive safety systems provide stable long-term cooling without a need for electrical
power or makeup water
- Complete station blackout protection
- Operation of all passive safety systems without pumps, AC or DC power, or addition of water
- Passive cooling of reactor for 30 days with water followed by an unlimited period
of air cooling
- Underground installation provides additional safety and security
- No Design Basis Accident can cause core to uncover
- Smaller source term per reactor and longer time periods of potential release.
- Low CDF below 10-7 per module year
- Seven Layers of Defense (Three or four more than conventional
reactors)
- Deeply embedded spent fuel pool with 4 times the water volume per MWt of conventional
nuclear reactors
Possibility of Core Damage Significantly Reduced
The safety of the plant is enhanced due to a number of key features, such as a simplified
design, inherent cooling capabilities, passive engineered safety features, and lower
core power density. In the extremely unlikely event that a NuScale core is damaged, consequences would be well below the threshold to warrant off-site evacuations.