Comparison of probabilistic safety assessment methodologies for nuclear fuel reprocessing and nuclear power plants

The safe design and the operation of a reactor spent fuel reprocessing plant need a probabilistic safety assessment (PSA). The practical experience, gained from using PSA for domestic nuclear power plants and from studying PSA methods for foreign nuclear fuel reprocessing plants was used in the study. This paper compared the main design safety principles, PSA methodologies, reliability data and accident radiometric consequences, etc. A specific PSA method for nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, that is the stand-alone fault tree deductive technique, is recommended for a safety analysis.