• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.12-24
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• 2001

The post-LOCA long term cooling (LTC) performance of the Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant (KSNPP) is analyzed for both small break loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA) and large break LOCA at cold leg. The RELAP5/MOD3.2.2 beta code is used to calculate the LTC sequences based on the LTC plan of the Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plants (KSNPP). A standard input model is developed such that LOCA and the followed LTC sequence can be calculated in a single run for both small break LOCA and large break LOCA. A spectrum of small break LOCA ranging from \ulcorner.02 to 0.5 k2 of break area and a double-ended guillotine break are analyzed. Through the code calculations, the thermal-hydraulic behavior and the boron behavior are evaluated and the effect of the important action including the safety injection tank (SIT isolation and the simultaneous injection in LTC procedure is investigated. As a result, it is found that the sufficient margin is available in avoiding the boron precipitation in the core. It is also found that a further specific condition for the SIT isolation action need to be setup and it is recommended that the early initiation of the simultaneous injection be taken for larger break LTC sequences.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.1532-1539
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• 2019

This paper analyzes a new method for reducing boiling water reactor fuel temperature during a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA). The method uses a device called Reverse Flow Restriction Device (RFRD) at the inlet of fuel bundles in the core to prevent coolant loss from the bundle inlet due to the reverse flow after a large break in the recirculation loop. The device allows for flow in the forward direction which occurs during normal operation, while after the break, the RFRD device changes its status to prevent reverse flow. In this paper, a detailed simulation of LOCA has been carried out using the U.S. NRC's TRACE code to investigate the effect of RFRD on the flow rate as well as peak clad temperature of BWR fuel bundles during three different LOCA scenarios: small break LOCA (25% LOCA), large break LOCA (100% LOCA), and double-ended guillotine break (200% LOCA). The results demonstrated that the device could substantially block flow reversal in fuel bundles during LOCA, allowing for coolant to remain in the core during the coolant blowdown phase. The device can retain additional cooling water after activating the emergency systems, which maintains the peak clad temperature at lower levels. Moreover, the RFRD achieved the reflood phase (when the saturation temperature of the clad is restored) earlier than without the RFRD.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05b
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• pp.513-518
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• 1996

This report presents a demonstration of application of realistic evaluation methodology to a posturated cold leg large break LOCA in a Westinghouse three-loop pressurized water reactor with 17$\times$17 fuel. The new method of this analysis can be divided into three distinct step: 1) Best Estimate Code Validation and Uncertainty Quantification 2) Realistic LOCA Calculation 3) Limiting Value LOCA Calculation and Uncertainty Combination RELAP5/MOD3/K ［1］, which was improved from RELAP5/MOD3.1, and CONTEMPT4/MOD5 code were used as a best estimate thermal-hydraulic model for realistic LOCA calculation. The code uncertainties which will be determined in step 1) were quantified already in previous study ［2］, and thus the step 2) and 3) for plant application were presented in this paper. The application uncertainty parameters are divided into two categories, i.e. plant system parameters and fuel statistical parameters. Single parameter sensitivity calculations were performed to select system parameters which would be set at their limiting value in Limiting Value Approach (LVA) calculation. Single run of LVA calculation generated 27 PCT data according to the various combinations of fuel parameters and these data provided input to response surface generation. The probability distribution function was generated from Monte Carlo sampling of a response surface and the upper 95$^{th}$ percentile PCT was determined. Break spectrum analysis was also made to determine the critical break size. The results show that sufficient LOCA margin can be obtained for the demonstration NPP.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.80-87
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• 1988

Predicted in this paper are flow distributions in average and hot channels of the reactor core during small and large break LOCAs. Also estimated based on REALP5/MOD2 calculations are the effects of cross flow between channels on LOCA analysis results. It has been so far generally accepted that a single average channel is sufficient for small break LOCA core hydraulic modelling. However, based on these calculation results, hot channel modeling (two channel modeling) is found necessary in order to guarantee more reliable and conservative results. In large break LOCA blowdown phase, the hot channel thermal hydraulics is worse than that of average channel in both cases with the without consideration of cross flow.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.623-639
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• 2023

The specific configuration of the safety systems in VVER-1000/V320 reactors allows a comprehensive study of the Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA). In the present paper, a verification of the success criteria of the event trees headers for the medium and large break LOCA sequences is conducted. A detailed TRACEV5P5 thermal-hydraulic model of the reactor has been developed, including all safety systems. When analyzing the results of all sequences, some conservatism is observed in certain specific configurations as the success criterion of some headers is not consistent with the classic PSA level 1. Therefore, new proposals for the LOCA event trees are performed based on a reconfiguration of LOCA break ranges and the use of the expanded event trees approach.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.395-400
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• 1996

Scoping analyses for the Safety Injection System (SIS) configuration for Korean Next Generation Reactor (KNGR) are peformed in this study. The KNGR SIS consists of four mechanically separated hydraulic trains. Each hydraulic train consisting of a High Pressure Safety Injection (HPSI) pump and a Safety Injection Tank (SIT) is connected to the Direct Vessel Injection (DVI) nozzle located above the elevation of cold leg and thus injects water into the upper portion of reactor vessel annulus. Also, the KNGR is going to adopt the advanced design feature of passive fluidic device which will be installed in the discharge line of SIT to allow more effective use of borated water during the transient of large break LOCA. To determine the feasible configuration and capacity of SIT and HPSI pump with the elimination of the Low Pressure Safety Injection (LPSI) pump for KNGR, licensing design basis evaluations are performed for the limiting large break LOCA. The study shows that the DVI injection with the fluidic device SIT enhances the SIS performance by allowing more effective use of borated water for an extended period of time during the large break LOCA.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.690-703
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• 2010

Sampling based uncertainty analysis was carried out to quantify uncertainty in predictions of best estimate code RELAP5/MOD3.2 for a thermal hydraulic test (10% hot leg break LOCA) performed in the Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF) as a part of an IAEA coordinated research project. The nodalisation of the test facility was qualified for both steady state and transient level by systematically applying the procedures led by uncertainty methodology based on accuracy extrapolation (UMAE); uncertainty analysis was carried out using the Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) method to evaluate uncertainty for ten input parameters. Sixteen output parameters were selected for uncertainty evaluation and uncertainty band between $5^{th}$ and $95^{th}$ percentile of the output parameters were evaluated. It was observed that the uncertainty band for the primary pressure during two phase blowdown is larger than that of the remaining period. Similarly, a larger uncertainty band is observed relating to accumulator injection flow during reflood phase. Importance analysis was also carried out and standard rank regression coefficients were computed to quantify the effect of each individual input parameter on output parameters. It was observed that the break discharge coefficient is the most important uncertain parameter relating to the prediction of all the primary side parameters and that the steam generator (SG) relief pressure setting is the most important parameter in predicting the SG secondary pressure.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.144-155
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• 2023

The core catcher is used as a passive safety system in new generation nuclear power plants to create a space in the containment for the placing and cooling of the molten corium under various severe accidents. This research investigates the role of the core catcher in the VVER-1000 reactor containment system in mitigating the effects of core meltdown under various severe accidents within the context of the Ex-vessel Melt Retention (EVMR) strategy. Hence, a comparison study of three severe accidents is conducted, including Station Black-Out (SBO), SBO combined with the Large Break Loss of Coolant Accident (LB-LOCA), and SBO combined with the Small Break Loss of Coolant Accident (SB-LOCA). Numerical comparative simulations are performed for the aforementioned scenario with and without the EX-vessel core-catcher. The results showed that considering the EX-Vessel core catcher reduces the amount of hydrogen by about 18.2 percent in the case of SBO + LB-LOCA, and hydrogen production decreases by 12.4 percent in the case of SBO + SB-LOCA. Furthermore, in the presence of an EX-Vessel core-catcher, the production of gases such as CO and CO2 for the SBO accident is negligible. It was revealed that the greatest decrease in pressure and temperature of the containment is related to the SBO accident.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.2099-2112
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• 2024

This study examined the effects of CRUD on reflood heat transfer behaviors of nuclear fuel rods during a loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA) in a pressurized water reactor using a best-estimate thermal-hydraulic analysis code. Changes in thermal properties and boiling heat transfer characteristics of the CRUD layer were extensively reviewed, and a set of correction factors to reflect the changes was implemented into the code. A heat structure layer reflecting the effects of CRUDs on the properties was added to the outer surface of the fuel cladding. Numerical simulations were conducted to examine the effects of CRUDs on reflood cooling of overheated fuel rods for representative separate and integral effect tests, FLECHT-SEASET and LOFT. In LOFT analysis, the average cladding temperature was increased due to the low thermal conductivity of CRUD during steady-state operation; however, in both analyses, the peak cladding temperature decreased, and the quenching time was reduced. Obtained results revealed that when the porous CRUD layer is deposited on the fuel cladding, two opposite effects appear. Low thermal conductivity of the CRUD layer always increases fuel temperature during normal operation; however, its hydrophilic porous structures may contribute to accelerated reflood cooling of fuel rods during a LOCA.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.177-177
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• 2002