Light Water Reactor (LWR) core feedback and transient response

Title

Multi-physics and Multi-scale Methods for the Analysis of Light Water Reactor Core Transients

Prerequisites

Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering

Goal of the course

Get familiar with multi-physics methods and tools for the analysis the LWR-core behaviour under transient conditions

Content

This training course present the current multi-physics methods for transient analysis of LWR-cores including neutronics, thermal hydraulics and thermo-mechanics. First, the theoretical basis of the involved numerical tools are presented and discussed. It will covers thermal hydraulic sub-channel methods, 3D neutron kinetics, and finally fuel thermo-mechanics.

The main physical methods of SUBCHANFLOW (SCF), PARCS and TRANSURANUS (TU) and their simulation capabilities will be discussed. The methodology developed at KIT for the coupling of these three solvers will be also discussed emphasizing its relevance for safety evaluations of LWR-cores.

Hands-on-training will include practical exercises (demos) first using the stand-alone codes and the coupled versions of PARCS/SCF and PATCS/SCF/TU. Different problems at sub-channel (SC) and fuel assembly (FA) level will be solved with those coupled codes.

For it, the main structure of the input / output of each code as well as the guidelines how to run the codes will be presented and the ways to interpret the main results will be discussed. The demos will include:

• Traditional way of core analysis using TRACE/PARCS
• Core analysis using SUBCHANFLOW and PARCS
• Analysis of a Rod Ejection Accident (REA) using PARCS/SCF and PARCS/SCF/TU

The course will be given in English.

 Lecturers:

Dr. Victor Hugo Sanchez Espinoza (Head of Group Reactor Physics and Dynamics of INR, Lectureship at KIT Mechanical Engineering Faculty on Reactor Safety)

Areas of Expertise:

• Modelling and Simulation of Research Reactors, LWR and innovative reactors e.g. SMR
• Accident analysis of LWR-transient and severe accidents
• Multi-physical and multi-scale methods for reactor safety
• Validation, qualification and uncertainty quantification of numerical codes

MSc Luigi Mercatali (INR/RPD, Senior Scientist, Work Package Leader for Code Integration and Coupling Methods within the EU McSAFE Project)

Area of expertise:

• Modelling and Simulation of Research Reactors, LWR and innovative reactors
• Core design
• Deterministic and Monte Carlo neutronic methods
• Nuclear data validation
• Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis