U.S. Reactor Containment Technology: a Compilation of Current Practice in Analysis, Design, Construction, Test, and Operation, Volume 1 Page: 3-38
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Table 3.6. Reactor Accidents Involving Reduction in Cooling
Date Reference Location Reactor Causea Nature of Incident Remarks
June 1954
Jan. 4, 1955
April 13, 1958
July 24, 1959
April 3, 1960
Dec. 12, 1961
Nov. 13, 1962
July 196327 Arco, Idaho
28 Hanford,
Washington
27 Saclay, France
29 Santa Susana,
California
30, 31 Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania
32 Idaho Falls,
Idaho
33 Idaho Falls,
Idaho
34 Oak Ridge,
TennesseeMTR
"KW"
EL-3
SEE
WTRMTR
ORRDD Fuel plates failed because bulging of
plates limited coolant flow to af-
fected areas and caused hot spots;
the fuel elements were modified to
correct this
OE Cooling water flow to one process
tube was blocked; some elements in
the tube melted and caused damage
to that channel
DD An aluminum channel holding a fuel
element fell as a result of vibra-
tion and lack of support; this
stopped coolant flow to that ele-
ment and resulted in fuel element
failure
CF Fuel element failure (melting) oc-
curred as a result of reduced cool-
ing; the reduction was caused by
fouling of coolant channels by the
decomposition products of tetraline
(auxiliary coolant), which had leaked
into the primary coolant
CF Because of reduced coolant flow and
possibly inadequate metallurgical
bonding between meat and cladding,
overheating and subsequent fuel ele-
ment failure occurred
OE Six fuel elements overheated and
failed as a result of foreign matter
(part of a plastic sight box) lodging
in flow channels and reducing cooling
OE A small portion of one plate in a fuel
element melted because of reduced
coolant flow; this was caused by a
blockage of the coolant channel by
debris identified as gasket material
OE Partial meltdown of one plate in an
element soon after startup; the melt-
down was caused by insufficient cool-
ant flow as a result of restriction
by a large gasket lodged in the cool-
ant channelNo injury; no release of activity
No significant release of activity;
no radiation exposures; consider-
able damage to the reactor
No injury; no activity release
No release of activity
Contamination of primary coolant,
and some activity released to at-
mosphere
No significant release of activity
Building was evacuated but no sig-
nificant exposures or damage oc-
curred
Building was evacuated but no in-
juries occurred and only minor
damage was done to the reactorprobable initiating cause: DD - Design Deficiency; OE - Operation Error; CF - Component Failure.
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Cottrell, William B. & Savolainen, A. W. U.S. Reactor Containment Technology: a Compilation of Current Practice in Analysis, Design, Construction, Test, and Operation, Volume 1, report, August 1965; Oak Ridge, Tennessee. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc101033/m1/170/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.