Which critical safety function protects the containment barrier?

Which critical safety function protects the containment barrier?

• A. Containment Heat Removal
• B. Containment Integrity
• C. Containment Leakage Detection
• D. Containment Isolation

Answer: (B)

Preserving the containment barrier relies on keeping the boundary leak-tight and structurally sound under normal operation and accident loads. Containment Integrity is the safety function that ensures this boundary remains intact by preventing leakage, maintaining the pressure boundary, and requiring ongoing surveillance, leak-rate testing, and maintenance to detect and fix any degradation. Because the goal is to stop radioactive material from escaping by upholding the barrier itself, this function directly protects the containment barrier. Containment Isolation, while also important, serves to stop releases by automatically closing valves and isolating the containment from other systems when a leak or fault is detected, rather than maintaining the barrier’s physical integrity. The other options focus on removing heat or detecting leaks, which do not by themselves guarantee the barrier’s integrity.

Preserving the containment barrier relies on keeping the boundary leak-tight and structurally sound under normal operation and accident loads. Containment Integrity is the safety function that ensures this boundary remains intact by preventing leakage, maintaining the pressure boundary, and requiring ongoing surveillance, leak-rate testing, and maintenance to detect and fix any degradation. Because the goal is to stop radioactive material from escaping by upholding the barrier itself, this function directly protects the containment barrier. Containment Isolation, while also important, serves to stop releases by automatically closing valves and isolating the containment from other systems when a leak or fault is detected, rather than maintaining the barrier’s physical integrity. The other options focus on removing heat or detecting leaks, which do not by themselves guarantee the barrier’s integrity.