Best-Estimate for System Codes (BeSYC): A New Software to Perform Best-Estimate Plus Uncertainty Analyses with Thermal-Hydraulic and Safety System Codes for Both Fusion and Fission Scenarios

Abstract

The development and the validation of old and new software in relevant DEMO reactor conditions have been exploited in the latest years within the EUROfusion Consortium. The aim was to use—if possible—the software already validated for fission reactors and to fill the gaps with new ad-hoc software. As contribution to this effort, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) developed and tested a novel software to apply the Best-Estimate Model Calibration and Prediction through Experimental Data Assimilation methodology to the system codes RELAP5-3D, MELCOR 1.8.6, and MELCOR 2.2. This software is called Best-estimate for SYstem Codes (BeSYC), and it is developed as a MATLAB App. The application is in charge of applying the mathematical framework of the methodology, writing and executing the code runs required by the methodology, and printing the obtained results. The main goal of BeSYC is to wrap up the methodology in a software suitable to be used by any user through a simple graphical user interface. Albeit developed in the fusion research context, BeSYC can be applied to any reactor/scenario type supported by the specific system code. The goals of BeSYC, the mathematical framework, the main characteristics, and the performed verification and validation activities are described in this paper.

Keywords

• best-estimate plus uncertainty
• thermal-hydraulics codes
• safety system codes
• RELAP5-3D
• MELCOR 1.8.6
• MATLAB