Application of Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty (BEPU) methodology in a Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) of a generic plant

Abstract

The licensing process of a nuclear power plant is motivated by the need to protect humans and the environment from ionizing radiation and, at the same time, sets out the basis for the design and determining the acceptability of the plant. An important part of the licensing process is the realization of accident analysis related to the design basis, which should be documented in the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR). There are different options on accidents calculation area by combining the use of computer codes and data entry for licensing purposes. One is the Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty (BEPU), which considers realistic input data and associated uncertainties. Applications of BEPU approaches in licensing procedures were initiated in the 2000s, first to analysis of Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA), and then to the accident analysis as a whole, documented in Chapter 15 of the FSAR. This work has as main objective the implementation of BEPU methodology in all analyses contained in FSAR, through the homogenization of the analytical techniques and identification of key disciplines and key topics in the licensing process.