Analysis of the capability of system codes to model cavitation water hammers: Simulation of UMSICHT water hammer experiments with TRACE and RELAP5

The capabilities of the nuclear system transient codes TRACE and RELAP5 to model coupled two-phase flow and pressure wave propagations in a pipe are assessed by analyzing the UMSICHT PPP cavitation water hammer experiments 329 and 135 after valve closure. Time-dependent pressure, flow behaviour, and the generation and collapse of vapor bubbles at the valve and the first bridge are discussed. We show that both codes are able to model the flow behaviour of the water hammer for the high pressure and high temperature case 329 (initially 10–13 bar and 420 K), however condensation heat transfer for the base case needed to be increased in order to accurately model the magnitude of the first pressure excursion. The experimental broadening and damping of the subsequent pressure peaks by Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) phenomena arising from the interaction of the flow with the vibrations of the piping structure are not considered in the modeling results. For the lower pressure and temperature case 135 (initially 1–4 bar and 294 K), the TRACE code provides a good approximation of the propagation of the pressure wave and the void fraction behaviour, already with base case conditions, while RELAP5 overpredicts the vapor generation along the pipe and, as a result, considerably underpredicts the pressure amplitudes and overpredicts the water hammer frequency.