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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 55https://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 233https://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 298https://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 116https://lwrs.inl.gov/RiskInformed Safety Margin Characterization/Forms/AllItems.aspxpdfFalsepdf

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terry turbine.jpg

This photograph of terry turbine equipment 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.