Reactor Cavity Cooling System facility shakedown and RELAP5-3D model validation

R. Vaghetto, Saya Lee, Y. A. Hassan

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

A small scale water-cooled experimental facility was built in order to study the complex thermohydraulic phenomena taking place in the Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS) during the normal operation (steady-state case) an during accident scenario when forced convection is lost. The facility represents a portion of the reactor vessel with nine stainless steel coolant risers. The pipes are connected via cold and hot manifolds to a water tank located on top of the cavity. Due to the complexity of the expected thermal hydraulic phenomena, a RELAP5-3D input deck was prepared in order to predict the main thermohydraulic parameters, mainly coolant flow rate and temperatures. During the facility shakedown, the coolant flow was constantly monitored in order to observe the natural circulation startup phase and some interesting features of the coolant behavior were observed. The comparison of the preliminary experimental results from a test run with the prediction of the RELAP5-3D simulations helped validating the assumptions and simplifications adopted in the model for future simulations of steady-state and transients, and confirmed the potentiality of the system code for analysis of such systems. In the present paperwork, a detailed description of the experimental facility and the RELAP5-3D model are provided. Preliminary experimental results from different test runs are described and compared with the RELAP5-3D simulation results.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2012 20th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering and the ASME 2012 Power Conference, ICONE 2012-POWER 2012
PublisherAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Pages775-782
Number of pages8
Edition1
ISBN (Print)9780791844977
DOIs
StatePublished - 2012
Event2012 20th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering and the ASME 2012 Power Conference, ICONE 2012-POWER 2012 - Anaheim, CA, United States
Duration: Jul 30 2012Aug 3 2012

Publication series

NameInternational Conference on Nuclear Engineering, Proceedings, ICONE
Number1
Volume3

Other

Other2012 20th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering and the ASME 2012 Power Conference, ICONE 2012-POWER 2012
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityAnaheim, CA
Period7/30/128/3/12

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Nuclear Energy and Engineering

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