Validation of coupled neutronic / thermal-hydraulic codes for VVER reactors Final report

In recent years, the simulation methods for the safety analysis of nuclear power plants have been continuously improved to perform realistic calculations. Therefore in VALCO work package 2 (WP 2), the usual application of coupled neutron-kinetic / thermal-hydraulic codes to VVER has been supplemented by systematic uncertainty and sensitivity analyses. A comprehensive uncertainty analysis has been carried out. The GRS uncertainty and sensitivity method based on the statistical code package SUSA was applied to the two transients studied earlier in SRR-1/95: A load drop of one turbo-generator in Loviisa-1 (VVER-440), and a switch-off of one feed water pump in Balakovo-4 (VVER-1000). The main steps of these analyses and the results obtained by applying different coupled code systems (SMABRE - HEXTRAN, ATHLET - DYN3D, ATHLET - KIKO3D, ATHLET -BIPR-8) are described in this report. The application of this method is only based on variations of input parameter values. No internal code adjustments are needed. An essential result of the analysis using the GRS SUSA methodology is the identification of the input parameters, such as the secondary-circuit pressure, the control-assembly position (as a function of time), and the control-assembly efficiency, that most sensitively affect safety-relevant output parameters, like reactor power, coolant heat-up, and primary pressure. Uncertainty bands for these output parameters have been derived. The variation of potentially uncertain input parameter values as a consequence of uncertain knowledge can activate system actions causing quite different transient evolutions. This gives indications about possible plant conditions that might be reached from the initiating event assuming only small disturbances. In this way, the uncertainty and sensitivity analysis reveals the spectrum of possible transient evolutions. Deviations of SRR-1/95 coupled code calculations from measurements also led to the objective to separate neutron kinetics from thermal-hydraulic feedback effects. Thus, in VALCO work package 3 (WP 3) stand-alone three-dimensional neutron-kinetic codes have been validated. Measurements carried out in an original-size VVER-1000 mock-up (V-1000 facility, Kurchatov Institute Moscow) were used for the validation of the codes DYN3D, HEXTRAN, KIKO3D and BIPR-8, which are chiefly designed for VVER safety calculations. The significant neutron flux tilt measured in the V-1000 core, which is caused only by radial-reflector asymmetries, was successfully modelled. A good agreement between calculated and measured steady-state powers has been achieved, for relative assembly powers and inner-assembly pin power distributions. Calculated effective multiplication factors exceed unity in all cases. (orig.)European Commision 5th Euratom Framework Programme 1998-2002, Key Action: Nuclear FissionSIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RR 1847(408) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman