A design-basis event (DBE) is a postulated event used to establish the acceptable performance requirements of the structures, systems, and components, such that a

nuclear power plant A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a electric generator, generato ...

can withstand the event and not endanger the health or safety of the plant operators or the wider public. Similar terms are design-basis accident (DBA) and maximum credible accident. Subtypes of DBEs are: * design-basis criticality: "A criticality accident that is the most severe design-basis accident of that type applicable to the area under consideration." * design-basis

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

(DBE): "That earthquake for which the safety systems are designed to remain functional both during and after the event, thus assuring the ability to shut down and maintain a safe configuration." * design-basis

explosion An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known ...

: "An explosion that is the most severe design-basis accident of that type applicable to the area under consideration." * design-basis

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

: "A fire that is the most severe design-basis accident of this type. In postulating such a fire, failure of automatic and manual fire-suppression provisions shall be assumed except for those safety class items or systems that are specifically designed to remain available (structurally or functionally) through the event." * design-basis

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

: "A flood that is the most severe design-basis accident of that type applicable to the area under consideration." * design-basis

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

(DBT): "A tornado that is the most severe design-basis accident of that type applicable to the area under consideration." Circumstances like the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...

were not considered within the design basis of the plant, and so the resulting

Fukushima I nuclear accidents The was a nuclear accident in 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan. The proximate cause of the disaster was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which occurred on the afternoon of 11 March 2011 and ...

were described using this terminology as "beyond design basis" or "non-design-basis". However, some have claimed that the design basis for tsunami events at Fukushima was incorrect. Accidents caused by poor design, failure to follow listed safety procedures, or other forms of

human error Human error refers to something having been done that was " not intended by the actor; not desired by a set of rules or an external observer; or that led the task or system outside its acceptable limits".Senders, J.W. and Moray, N.P. (1991) Human ...

are not considered to be beyond-design-basis accidents. The terminology can be unclear, however, because a poorly handled design-basis accident can result in conditions beyond what was considered likely, causing a beyond-design-basis accident. For this reason, some industry experts have criticized the use of design-basis terminology. The

Three Mile Island accident The Three Mile Island accident was a partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor in Pennsylvania, United States. It began at 4 a.m. on March 28, 1979. It is the most significant accident in U.S. commercial nuclea ...

and the

Chernobyl disaster The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is one of only two nuc ...

are examples of design-basis accidents becoming non-design-basis accidents because of design deficiencies, inadequate training, procedures inadequate for the conditions (TMI), failure to follow operating procedures (Chernobyl), and control room design shortfalls.

Beyond-design-basis events

Beyond-design-basis events can reduce or eliminate the margin of safety of the structures, systems and components, possibly resulting in a catastrophic failure. The

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster The was a nuclear accident in 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan. The proximate cause of the disaster was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which occurred on the afternoon of 11 March 2011 and ...

was caused by a "beyond-design-basis event": the tsunami and associated earthquakes were more powerful than the plant was designed to accommodate. The plant withstood the earthquake but the tsunami overflowed the seawall. Since then, the possibility of unforeseen beyond design basis events has been a major concern for plant operators.

References

{{Authority control * Nuclear accidents and incidents Nuclear reactor safety Radioactivity

Beyond-design-basis events

See also

References