One of a defined set of bounding accidents, such as a large-break loss of coolant, main steam line break or control rod ejection, analysed with conservative assumptions to show that safety systems keep fuel damage and radiation doses within acceptance criteria. For a loss of coolant, those criteria include limits on peak cladding temperature and cladding oxidation. The set of DBAs defines what the safety systems must be able to do.
That pipe isn't in the design basis accident set, so the break isn't analysed with a single failure on top.
Also heard as
- DBA
Related terms
Beyond design basis accident
An accident more severe than those the plant's safety systems were explicitly designed to handle.
LOCA
Loss of coolant accident: a break or leak in the reactor coolant system that lets coolant escape faster than it can be replaced.
ECCS
Emergency core cooling system: the set of safety systems that inject water to keep the core covered after a loss of coolant.
Single failure criterion
The design rule that a safety system must still do its job despite any one component failing.