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Skip Navigation LinksTerry Turbine Expanded Operating Band

​​​​​​​​​​Terry Turbine Expanded Operating Band


Goa​​l

To better understand the operating limits of two emergency core-cooling systems in nuclear power plants —the Terry turbines and self-regulating mode of operation of reactor-core isolation cooling systems used in boiling-water reactors (BWRs) and turbine-driven auxiliary feedwater systems for pressurized water reactors (PWRs).

Outcome

Research is being conducted to demonstrate, with a high level of confidence, the Terry turbine operational performance up to and beyond 4 to 12 hours that is normally credited these systems for safety function performance. Knowledge of the actual operating characteristics of these systems will provide a technical basis that may allow utilities to take credit for extended emergency core-cooling. The research will provide margins on the distribution of scarce plant resources to where they are most-urgently needed and will allow more time to transition to other core-cooling equipment, such as FLEX (flexible coping strategies), to prevent core damage.​

Planned Major Accomplishments​

  • 2022—perform safety risk assessments of a station-blackout accident scenario for generic PWR and BWR plants with credited extended operation of emergency core-cooling systems.

  • 2023—credit Terry turbines for extended operation using the results from this completed project.

 

Related Reports​​

 

 

Terry Turbopump Expanded Operating Band Modeling and Simulation Efforts in Fiscal Year 2021 Extended Period of Performance – Final Report, SAND2021-7812314627/15/2021 4:03:35 PMLindsay Gilkey 2 , Matthew Solom 3 , Bradley Beeny 1 , David Luxat 1 Prepared by Sandia National Laborato ries Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 and Livermo re, California 94550 68https://lwrs.inl.gov/RiskInformed Safety Margin Characterization/Forms/AllItems.aspxpdfFalsepdf
Terry Turbopump Expanded Operating Band Modeling and Simulation Efforts in Fiscal Year 2020 – Progress Report, SAND2020-93682004789/9/2020 11:43:27 PMSANDIA REPORT SAND2020-9368 Printed September 2020 Terry Turbopump Expanded Operating Band Modeling and Simulation Efforts in Fiscal Year 2020 – Progress Report Lindsay Gilkey 2 250https://lwrs.inl.gov/RiskInformed Safety Margin Characterization/Forms/AllItems.aspxpdfFalsepdf
Terry Turbopump Expanded Operating Band Modeling and Full-Scale Test Development Efforts in Fiscal Year 2019 – Progress Report, SAND2019-134235520910/31/2019 7:10:57 PMLindsay Gilkey, Matthew Solom, Nathan Andrews Prepared by Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 and Livermore, California 94550 The authors would also like to 333https://lwrs.inl.gov/RiskInformed Safety Margin Characterization/Forms/AllItems.aspxpdfFalsepdf
Terry Turbopump Expanded Operating Band Full-Scale Integral Long-Term Low-Pressure Experiments – Preliminary Test Plan, INL/EXT-18-51442552081/9/2019 2:52:42 PMSANDIA REPORT SAND2018-12965 Unlimited Release January 2019 Terry Turbopump Expanded Operating Band Full-Scale Integral Long-Term Low-Pressure Experiments – Preliminary Test Plan 134https://lwrs.inl.gov/RiskInformed Safety Margin Characterization/Forms/AllItems.aspxpdfFalsepdf

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terry turbine.jpg

This ph​​otograph of terry turbine equipment is used to demonstrate self-regulating performance. ​

Terry turbopumps are an important safety system credited for providing cooling water during accident conditions, similar to those that occurred during the Fukushima Daichi event in 2011.