Dynamic behavior of a solid particle bed in a liquid pool: SIMMER-III code verification

Dynamic behavior of solid particle beds in a liquid pool against pressure transients was investigated to model the mobility of core materials in a postulated disrupted core of a liquid metal fast reactor. A series of experiments was performed with a particle bed of different bed heights, comprising different monotype solid particles, where variable initial pressures of the originally pressurized nitrogen gas were adopted as the pressure sources. Computational simulations of the experiments were performed using SIMMER-III, a fast reactor safety analysis code. Comparisons between simulated and experimental results show that the physical model for multiphase flows used in the SIMMER-III code can reasonably represent the transient behaviors of pool multiphase flows with rich solid phases, as observed in the current experiments. This demonstrates the basic validity of the SIMMER-III code on simulating the dynamic behaviors induced by pressure transients in a low-energy disrupted core of a liquid metal fast reactor with rich solid phases.     

Experimental validation of the TASS/SMR code for an integral type pressurized water reactor

The transient and setpoint simulation small and medium reactor (TASS/SMR) code has been applied to perform the safety analysis and performance evaluation of an integral type pressurized water reactor. Till now, the code has only been verified by using simplified and analytical problems as well as a reliable system code due to the lack of available experimental data. Recently, several kinds of experiments have been performed by focusing on an identification of the heat transfer characteristics at a heat sink and source, and the thermal hydraulic characteristics and the natural circulation performance in an integral effect test facility. In this paper, the TASS/SMR code has been validated by using the experimental data obtained from a separate effect test facility by focusing on the heat transfer characteristics and an integral effect test facility by focusing on the thermal hydraulic characteristics and the natural circulation performance. According to the validation results of the TASS/SMR code against the separate effect test and the integral effect test, the code predicts the overall variation of the thermal hydraulic parameters well, including the system pressure, fluid temperature, mass flow rate, etc., and it is applicable for the safety analysis and performance evaluation of an integral type pressurized water reactor.     

Assessment of the MARS code for design of water pool-type reactor cavity cooling system in HTGR

This paper reports an experimental and numerical study on the assessment of the MARS code as a tool for analyzing the water pool-type reactor cavity cooling system (RCCS), which was developed by Seoul National University (SNU). A series of experiments were performed to determine the heat removal capability of the proposed RCCS and assess the capability of MARS code to predict the forced convective, natural convective and radiative heat transfer under normal operation conditions and boiling heat transfer during accident conditions in the RCCS. In the loss of forced convection (LOFC) accident experiment performed at the integral effect test facility called RCCS-SNU, the MARS code underestimated the vapor generation rate at the inner wall of the water pool. Therefore, the newly developed models of the bubble departure and lift-off diameters were implemented into the MARS code to make a better prediction of the vapor generation rate. The improved MARS code was assessed again using the experimental data of the LOFC accident conditions in the RCCS-SNU facility.     

TRACE simulation of sodium boiling in pin bundle experiments under loss-of-flow conditions

In the framework of PSI's FAST code system, the thermal–hydraulic code TRACE is being extended for representation of sodium two-phase flow. As the currently available version (v.5) is limited to the simulation of only single-phase sodium flow, its applicability range is not enough to study the behavior of a Generation IV sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) during transients in which boiling is anticipated. The work reported here concerns the extension of the non-homogeneous, non-equilibrium two-fluid models, which are available in TRACE for steam-water, to sodium two-phase flow simulation. The conventional correlations for ordinary gas–liquid flows are used as basis, with optional correlations specific to liquid metal where necessary. A number of new models for representation of the constitutive equations specific to sodium, with a particular emphasis on the interfacial transfer mechanisms, have been implemented and compared with the original closure models.A first assessment of the extended TRACE version has been carried out, by using the code to model experiments that simulate a loss-of-flow (LOF) accident in a SFR. One- and two-dimensional representations of the test section have been considered. Comparison of the 1D model predictions, with both experiment and SIMMER-III code predictions, confirm the ability of the extended TRACE code to predict the principal sodium boiling phenomena. Two-dimensional representation of the test section, however, has been found necessary for providing more detailed comparisons with the experimental data and thereby studying, in greater detail, the influence of the physical models on the calculated results.The paper thus presents a first-of-its-kind application of TRACE to two-phase sodium flow. It shows the capability of the extended code to predict sodium boiling onset, flow regimes, pressure evolution, dryout, etc. Although the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data, the physical models should be further improved. Other integral experiments are planned to be simulated, in order to further develop and validate the two-phase sodium flow modeling.     

Verification and validation benchmarks

Verification and validation (V&V) are the primary means to assess the accuracy and reliability of computational simulations. V&V methods and procedures have fundamentally improved the credibility of simulations in several high-consequence fields, such as nuclear reactor safety, underground nuclear waste storage, and nuclear weapon safety. Although the terminology is not uniform across engineering disciplines, code verification deals with assessing the reliability of the software coding, and solution verification deals with assessing the numerical accuracy of the solution to a computational model. Validation addresses the physics modeling accuracy of a computational simulation by comparing the computational results with experimental data. Code verification benchmarks and validation benchmarks have been constructed for a number of years in every field of computational simulation. However, no comprehensive guidelines have been proposed for the construction and use of V&V benchmarks. For example, the field of nuclear reactor safety has not focused on code verification benchmarks, but it has placed great emphasis on developing validation benchmarks. Many of these validation benchmarks are closely related to the operations of actual reactors at near-safety-critical conditions, as opposed to being more fundamental-physics benchmarks. This paper presents recommendations for the effective design and use of code verification benchmarks based on manufactured solutions, classical analytical solutions, and highly accurate numerical solutions. In addition, this paper presents recommendations for the design and use of validation benchmarks, highlighting the careful design of building-block experiments, the estimation of experimental measurement uncertainty for both inputs and outputs to the code, validation metrics, and the role of model calibration in validation. It is argued that the understanding of predictive capability of a computational model is built on the level of achievement in V&V activities, how closely related the V&V benchmarks are to the actual application of interest, and the quantification of uncertainties related to the application of interest.     

NHR—200堆芯旁通区三维流动传热数值分析

应用三维CFD软件PHOENICS－3．2,计算了200MW低温供热堆（NHR－200）堆芯旁通区及上腔室的流场和温场。分析了在堆芯与围板间的乏燃料存放区上端不同档板布置方案下的流场和温场,并考虑了旁通流量的影响。自然对流对流场和温场的影响不大,不会改变主流方向。在计算区域内,除主流外,还有由堆芯旁通区的下部流通面积突扩造成的一回流区及上腔室堆芯出口流通面积突扩和自然对流而形成的一大回流区。加挡板可阻挡上部大回流区对堆芯旁通区的影响,降低堆芯旁通区流体温度的变化。     

Simulation of mixing effects in a VVER-1000 reactor

This work has been performed in the framework of the OECD/NEA thermalhydraulic benchmark V1000CT-2. This benchmark is related to fluid mixing in the reactor vessel during a MSLB accident scenario in a VVER-1000 reactor. Coolant mixing in a VVER-1000 V320 reactor was investigated in plant experiments during the commissioning of the Unit 6 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. Non-uniform and asymmetric loop flow mixing in the reactor vessel has been observed in the event of symmetric main coolant pump operation. For certain flow conditions, the experimental evidence of an azimuthal shift of the main loop flows with respect to the cold leg axes (swirl) was found.Such asymmetric flow distribution was analyzed with the Trio_U code. Trio_U is a CFD code developed by the CEA Grenoble, aimed to supply an efficient computational tool to simulate transient thermalhydraulic turbulent flows encountered in nuclear systems. For the presented study, a LES approach was used to simulate turbulent mixing. Therefore, a very precise tetrahedral mesh with more than 10 million control volumes has been created.The Trio_U calculation has correctly reproduced the measured rotation of the flow when the CAD data of the constructed reactor pressure vessel where used. This is also true for the comparison of cold leg to assembly mixing coefficients. Using the design data, the calculated swirl was significantly underestimated. Due to this result, it might be possible to improve with CFD calculations the lower plenum flow mixing matrices which are usually used in system codes.     

3D Simulation of Solid-Melt Mixture Flow with Melt Solidification Using a Finite Volume Particle Method

Relocation and freezing of molten core materials mixed with solid phases are among the important thermal-hydraulic phenomena in core disruptive accidents of a liquid-metal-cooled reactor (LMR). To simulate such behavior of molten metal mixed with solid particles flowing onto cold structures, a computational framework was investigated using two moving particle methods, namely, the finite volume particle (FVP) method and the distinct element method (DEM). In FVP, the fluid movement and phase changes are modeled through neighboring fluid particle interactions. For mixed-flow calculations, FVP was coupled with DEM to represent interactions between solid particles and between solid particles and the wall. A 3D computer code developed for solid-liquid mixture flows was validated by a series of pure-and mixed-melt freezing experiments using a low-melting-point alloy. A comparison between the results of experiments and simulations demonstrates that the present computational framework based on FVP and DEM is applicable to numerical simulations of solid-liquid mixture flows with freezing process under solid particle influences.     

Transient Analysis of Natural Circulation Nuclear Reactor REX-10

As research regarding small- and medium-sized nuclear reactors (SMRs) has rapidly increased worldwide, the Regional Energy Research Institute for Next Generation (RERI) is designing a new conceptual nuclear reactor, called the Regional Energy rX-10MW_t (REX-10). The REX-10 is an integral-type nuclear reactor and adopts natural circulation for heat removal. Since the REX-10 is designed for district heating and small-scale power generation near residential areas, it has to guarantee safety under all circumstances. Thus, the REX-10 Test Facility (RTF) is designed to evaluate the natural circulation behavior in the REX-10. On the basis of a theoretical model and reactor safety, two experimental parameters (heater power and feedwater flow rate) were chosen and various transient experiments are conducted. As a result of six transient experiments, the RTF guarantees safety against abrupt changes in the experimental parameters. Furthermore, all the experiments are simulated by using the MARS code. In most cases, the results of the MARS code show good agreement with the experimental results. However, in case of the chiller trip, the MARS code overestimates the temperature and generates a fluctuation of the primary flow. However, both results show a similar trend after the fluctuation is finished.     

Experimental and computational investigation of a natural circulation system in Regional Energy Reactor-10 MWth

A small- and medium-sized nuclear reactor (SMR) has drawn attention because it is used for multi-purpose applications and the SMR has the virtue of being safer than a large-sized nuclear reactor. According to this tendency, the Regional Energy Research Institute for Next Generation (RERI) has been designing a Regional Energy Reactor-10 MW_th (REX-10). REX-10 is an integral type pressurized water reactor (PWR), and is designed to remove heat by natural circulation to improve safety. To investigate the natural circulation characteristics of REX-10, we designed a REX-10 Test Facility (RTF) using the scaling law and carried out experiments in two parameters: heater power and primary pressure. The experimental results have shown that the heater power is the most important parameter of the natural circulation behavior. On the other hand, the primary pressure does not show remarkable effect on natural circulation. In addition, MARS code simulation has been conducted to compare the experimental results and its results show good agreement with the experimental data. Finally, evaluation of the capability of natural circulation was conducted. The result of the evaluation shows that the RTF is sufficiently capable of removing the thermal power of this system.     

Numerical simulations of gas–liquid–particle three-phase flows using a hybrid method

For the analysis of debris behavior in core disruptive accidents of liquid metal fast reactors, a hybrid computational tool was developed using the discrete element method (DEM) for calculation of solid particle dynamics and a multi-fluid model of a reactor safety analysis code, SIMMER-III, to reasonably simulate transient behavior of three-phase flows of gas–liquid–particle mixtures. A coupling numerical algorithm was developed to combine the DEM and fluid-dynamic calculations, which are based on an explicit and a semi-implicit method, respectively. The developed method was validated based on experiments of water–particle dam break and fluidized bed in systems of gas–liquid–particle flows. Reasonable agreements between the simulation results and experimental data demonstrate the validity of the present method for complicated three-phase flows with large amounts of solid particles.     

Capability of the RELAP5 code to simulate natural circulation behavior in test facilities

Many advanced reactor designs incorporate passive systems mainly to enhance the operational safety and possible elimination of severe accident condition. Some reactors are even designed to remove the nominal fission heat passively by natural circulation without using mechanical pumps e.g. ESBWR, AHWR, CHTR, CAREM, etc. while in most other new reactor concepts, the decay heat is removed passively by natural circulation following the pump trip conditions. The design and safety analysis of these reactors are carried out using the best estimate codes such as RELAP5, TRAC and CATHARE, etc. These best estimate codes have been developed for pumped circulation systems and it is not proven about their adequacy or applicability for natural circulation systems wherein the driving mechanism is completely different. Some of the key phenomena which are difficult to model but are significantly important to assess the natural circulation system performances are – low flow natural circulation mainly because the flow is not fully developed and can be multi-dimensional in nature; flow instabilities; critical heat flux under oscillatory condition; flow stratification particularly in large diameter vessel; thermal stratification in large pools; effect of non-condensable gases on condensation, etc. Though, these best estimate codes use a six equation two-fluid model formulation for the thermal-hydraulic calculation which is considered to be the best representative of two-phase flows, but their accuracies depend on the accuracies of the models for interfacial relationships for mass, energy and momentum transfer which are semi-empirical in nature. The other problem with two-fluid models is the effect of ill-posedness which may cause numerical instability. Besides, the numerical diffusion associated due to truncation of higher order terms can affect the prediction of flow instabilities. All these effects may lead to inability to capture the important physical instability in natural circulation systems and instability characteristics i.e. amplitude and frequency of flow oscillation. In view of this, it is essential to test the capability of these codes to simulate natural circulation behavior under single and two-phase flow conditions before applying them to the future reactor concepts.In the present study, one of the extensively used best estimate code RELAP5 has been used for simulation of steady state, transient and stability behavior of natural circulation based experimental facilities, such as the High-Pressure Natural Circulation Loop (HPNCL) and the Parallel Channel Loop (PCL) installed and operating at BARC. The test data have been generated for a range of pressure, power and subcooling conditions. The computer code RELAP5/MOD3.2 was applied to predict the transient natural circulation characteristics under single-phase and two-phase conditions, thresholds of flow instability, amplitude and frequency of flow oscillations for different operating conditions of the loops. This paper presents the effect of nodalisation in prediction of natural circulation behavior in test facilities and a comparison of experimental data in with that of code predictions. The errors associated with the predictions are also characterized.     

Experimental investigation of solid–liquid mixtures freezing behavior in flow channels

The penetration and freezing of hot-core material mixtures through flow channels during core disruptive accidents (CDAs) within a sodium-cooled fast reactor is one of the major concerns confronting safety designers of the next-generation reactors. The main objective of this study is to investigate those fundamental characteristics of penetration and solidification involved in channeling molten metal and solid particle mixtures over cold structures. In this study, a low-melting-point alloy (viz., Bi–Sn–In alloy) and mixtures with solid particles (of copper and bronze) were used as a simulant melt, while L-shape metal (of stainless steel and brass) and stainless steel fuel pin bundle were used as cooling structures. Two series of basic experiments were performed to study the effect solid particles have on penetration and cooling behavior under various thermal conditions of melt by varying solid particle volume fraction, structure temperature and structural geometry. Melt flows and distributions were recorded using a digital video camera and subsequently analyzed. The melt penetration length into the flow channel and the proportion of melt adhesion on structural surfaces were measured. Results indicate that penetration length becomes shorter for molten-metal/solid particle mixtures (mixed melts) compared with pure molten metal (pure melt) as well as decreases with increasing solid particles volume fraction of the melt. The present study will contribute to a better understanding of the basic thermal-hydraulic phenomena of melt freezing in the presence of solid particles and to provide an experimental database for validation and improvement of the models of fast reactor safety analysis codes.     

铅铋自然循环热工水力分析程序开发

铅铋堆内冷却剂的自然循环对于反应堆的正常运行以及事故工况下的堆芯热量导出均至关重要,相关热工水力分析工作对于支持设计及安审均有重要意义。通过对铅铋堆内一回路系统内主要部件,包括堆芯、热交换器、管道等建立热工水力物理模型,开发了适用于铅铋自然循环瞬态过程模拟的热工水力分析程序,并利用铅铋自然循环回路内开展的自然循环启动实验、功率台阶影响实验等的结果进行了程序的初步验证。结果表明,程序计算得到的结果与实验结果符合较好,能够较好模拟铅铋自然循环的瞬态过程。该程序可以为铅铋堆研发过程中自然循环热工水力分析工作提供支持。     

Thermal fluctuations in the lower plenum of an high temperature reactor

This paper describes a typical study on thermal hydraulic problems on high temperature reactors. It deals with thermal stresses on the core outlet region of a new concept of high temperature reactor. The simulations point out the thermal fluctuations in the nominal state in the fluid and in the solid. First results are presented. They illustrate the complexity of the calculation due to particular geometry and boundary conditions. Qualitative analyses of the simulations reinforce the former evaluations on the oscillating character of the flow, the effects of mixing of different flows, and the consequences on the thermal load on the solid structures. In the future quantitative results can be used as source term for studies of solid mechanics. These calculations need also the computation of the global behaviour of the circuit. Simulations are performed with the TRIO_U/PRICELES code for the 3D-analysis and the CATHARE code for the system modelling. Both are developed by the CEA.     

Natural circulation studies in a lead bismuth eutectic loop

Lead Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) is increasingly getting more attraction as the coolant for advanced reactor systems. It is also the primary coolant of the Compact High Temperature Reactor (CHTR), being designed at BARC. A loop has been set up for thermal hydraulics, instrument development and material related studies relevant to CHTR. Steady state natural circulation experimental studies were carried out for different power levels. Transient studies for start-up of natural circulation in the loop, loss of heat sink and step power change have also been carried out. An 1D code named LeBENC has been developed at BARC to simulate the natural circulation characteristics in closed loops. The salient features of the code include ability to handle non-uniform diameter components, axial thermal conduction in fluid and heat losses from the piping to the environment. This paper deals with the experimental studies carried out in the loop. Detailed validation of the LeBENC code with the experimental data is also discussed in the paper.     

Evaluation of computational fluid dynamic methods for reactor safety analysis (ECORA)

The objective of the ECORA project is the evaluation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software for reactor safety applications, resulting in best practice guidelines (BPG) for an efficient use of CFD for reactor safety problems. The project schedule is as follows: (i) establishment of BPGs for use of CFD codes, for judgement of CFD calculations and for assessment of experimental data; (ii) assessment of CFD simulations for three-dimensional flows in LWR primary systems and containments; (iii) quality-controlled CFD simulations for selected UPTF and SETH PANDA test cases; and (iv) demonstration of CFD code customisation for PTS analysis by implementation and validation of improved turbulence and two-phase flow models.The project started in October 2001 and is for a period of 36 months. The project consortium consists of 12 partners combining thermal-hydraulic experts, code developers, safety experts and engineers from nuclear industry and research organizations. At mid-term, the following results were achieved: (i) BPGs are available for simulations of reactor safety relevant flows. These BPGs have found interest in the European projects FLOMIX-R, ASTAR and ITEM; (ii) important flow phenomena for PTS and containment flows have been identified; (iii) experimental data featuring these phenomena have been selected and described in a standardised manner suitable for simulation with CFD methods; (iii) surveys of existing CFD calculations and experimental data for containment and primary loop flows have been performed and documented; (iv) first results for simulations of PTS-relevant single-phase and two-phase flow cases are available.Documentation is available via the internet at http://domino.grs.de/ecora/ecora.nsf. The models developed within the project are implemented in industrial and commercial CFD software packages and are therefore accessible by industry and research institutions.     

Development of numerical evaluation method for fluid dynamics effects on jet breakup phenomena in BWR lower plenum

The jet breakup phenomena of the molten cores during a severe accident are affected by some complicated structures, such as control rod guide tubes, instrument guide tubes, and core support plate, in the lower plenum of the boiling water reactors (BWRs). A multi-phase computational fluid dynamics approach combined with experiments is considered to be the best way to estimate the jet breakup phenomena in the BWR lower plenum, and a numerical analysis method has been developed based on the interface tracking method code TPFIT (Two-Phase Flow simulation code with Interface Tracking). The analysis method developed was applied to single-/multi-channel experiments for verification and validation in this study. Furthermore, results from the numerical analysis were compared to the experimental results obtained using the multi-phase flow visualization technique using a high-speed camera and the particle image velocimetry method. As a consequence, it is found that the simulation method developed in this study can qualitatively simulate the jet breakup phenomena in the complicated structure.     

Studies of thermal-hydraulic phenomena in EBR-II

An experimental and theoretical program has been undertaken during the past several years with the objective of developing a well-documented understanding of steady-state and transient thermal-hydraulic behavior in EBR-II. The results of this effort have provided reactor designers and system modelers with needed integral-type demonstrations of important phenomena. This paper will discuss the particular problems of steady-state and transient hot channel peaking factors and plant operational characteristics impact upon natural circulation dynamics. Direct in-core experimental measurements have demonstrated that factors used for the prediction of peak coolant temperature rises at normal rated plant conditions may not be conservative due to pin-bundle distortions or inlet flow maldistributions, while those applied during loss-of-flow transients are most likely overconservative due to inter- and intrasubassembly phenomena. The importance of somewhat controllable parameters such as the sequence of primary and secondary pump trips and reactor scram, primary pump rundown times, and nominal operational power-to-flow ratio upon the dynamics of the transition from forced to natural convective flow are also presented.     

Advanced solution algorithms for transient multidimensional thermohydraulic flow problems in complex geometries with the programme COMMIX-2/KfK

The computer programme COMMIX-2 describes steady state and transient multidimensional single- and two-phase fluid flows with heat transfer in nuclear reactor components and multicomponent systems. Originally from the Argonne National Laboratory, the code has been further developed at the Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe. The original Point-SOR iterative method for the solution of a Poisson-like equation describing the pressure distribution in the fluid as well as the transport of enthalpy and turbulent quantities has been complemented with iterative and direct line- and block-methods. None of the newly implemented methods is original in itself but their implementation into the computer code, which can describe the most general shapes of definition domains, gave a code speed-up by a factor of 2–5, depending on the problem treated. The code capabilities are assessed by the calculation of a benchmark problem involving the numerical simulation of thermal buoyancy phenomena at a pipe/plenum interface.