Open Access
Table 2
The impacts of extreme climate hazards on the safety operation of NPPs.
| Extreme climate hazards | Impact on the safety of NPPs |
|---|---|
| External flood | External flood can be caused by factors such as rainfall, snowmelt, earthquakes, typhoons, dam breaks, etc., which may lead to the inundation of the plant area, and cause damage to the safety related Structures, Systems, and Components (SSCs). |
| Extreme wind/Tornado | The wind pressure may lead to the damage of building structures and failures of key components (such as off-site electricity power, heat sink, etc.) of NPPs. The missiles carried by extreme wind/tornado may cause damage to building structures, key components and communication systems, etc. |
| Extreme rainfall | Extreme rainfall may cause water logging in NPP site. When the water level exceeds the design basis level of the NPPs, the plant site may be flooded, which may in turn lead to damage to the safety related SSCs. |
| Extreme temperature | Extreme high/low temperature may affect the operational performance of safety related SSCs (such as engineered safety features, ventilation systems, heat sink, etc.). Extreme low temperature may reduce the toughness of equipment materials, thereby posing a risk of cracking. |
| Extreme snow | Depending on the snow depth and bulk density, the load generated by extreme snow accumulation may exceed structure design basis, thus causing damage to the building and key components of NPPs. |
| Tropical cyclone | Rainfall and (or) surge phenomena caused by tropical cyclone may lead to external flooding at coastal NPP sites, and the resulting extreme wind and their missiles may cause the damage of SSCs. |
| Drought | Drought may cause the loss of heat sink in NPPs, especially for NPPs located along rivers, which may lead to the loss of reactor core cooling or failures of cooling systems for safety systems. |
| Lightning | Lightning may cause failures of electrical and communication systems, malfunctions of instrumentation and control systems, and the damage of structures. |
| External fire | External fire may cause the damage of building structures, failures of key components (such as off-site power, etc.) and the destruction of NPP buildings. |
| Biological phenomena | Biological phenomena may cause the blockage of cooling water intake ports, resulting in the loss of the ultimate heat sink, and subsequently leading to the loss of cooling for the reactor and safety related systems. |
| Sandstorm | Sandstorms may lead to the wear and tear of SSCs, blockages of ventilation systems, malfunctions of electrical systems, and corrosion of metal components, etc. |
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