Plant safety in the Westinghouse AP600

On June 26, 1992, Westinghouse Electric Corporation submitted the AP600 standard safety analysis report and probabilistic risk assessment to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for review as part of the AP600 design certification program. This major milestone was accomplished on time on a schedule set more than 3 yr ago and is the result of cooperative efforts of the US Department of Energy, the Electric Power Research Institute advanced light water reactor (ALWR) utility requirements program, and the Westinghouse AP600 design team. These efforts were initiated in 1985 to develop a 600-MW(electric) ALWR plant design based on specific technical requirements established to provide the safety, simplicity, reliability, and economics necessary for the next generation of nuclear power plants. The AP600 acheives the ALWR safety requirements through the use of ample design margins, simplified safety systems based on natural driving forces, and a human engineered man-machine interface system.