Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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On the validation of ATHLET 3-D features for the simulation of multidimensional flows in horizontal geometries under single-phase subcooled conditions

  • Diaz-Pescador, E. (Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (HZDR)) ;
  • Schafer, F. (Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (HZDR)) ;
  • Kliem, S. (Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (HZDR))
  • Received : 2021.12.09
  • Accepted : 2022.04.23
  • Published : 2022.09.25
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Abstract

This paper provides an assessment of fluid transport and mixing processes inside the primary circuit of the test facility ROCOM through the numerical simulation of Test 2.1 with the system code ATHLET. The experiment represents an asymmetric injection of cold and non-borated water into the reactor coolant system (RCS) of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) to restore core cooling, an emergency procedure which may subsequently trigger a core re-criticality. The injection takes place at low velocity under single-phase subcooled conditions and presents a major challenge for the simulation in lumped parameter codes, due to multidimensional effects in horizontal piping and vessel arising from density gradients and gravity forces. Aiming at further validating ATHLET 3-D capabilities against horizontal geometries, the experiment conditions are applied to a ROCOM model, which includes a newly developed horizontal pipe object to enhance code prediction inside coolant loops. The obtained results show code strong simulation capabilities to represent multidimensional flows. Enhanced prediction is observed at the vessel inlet compared to traditional 1-D approach, whereas mixing overprediction from the descending denser plume is observed at the upper-half downcomer region, which leads to eventual deviations at the core inlet.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy(BMWi) with the grant number 1501540 on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag. The authors would like to thank P. J. Schoffel from GRS for his support and contribution with feedback and suggestions, as well as interesting discussions related to the modelling approach.

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