Nuclear Engineering and Technology (Feb 2022)

Experimental investigation and validation of TASS/SMR-S code for single-phase and two-phase natural circulation tests with SMART-ITL facility

  • Hwang Bae,
  • Ji-Han Chun,
  • Eunkoo Yun,
  • Young-Jong Chung,
  • Sung-Won Lim,
  • Hyun-Sik Park

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 54, no. 2
pp. 554 – 564

Abstract

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The natural circulation phenomena occurring in fully integrated nuclear reactors are associated with a unique formation mechanism. The phenomenon results from a structural feature of these reactors involving upward flow from the core, located in the central-bottom region of a single vessel, and downward flow to the steam generator in the annulus region. In this study, to understand the natural circulation in a single vessel involving a multi-layered flow path, single-phase and two-phase natural circulation tests were performed using the SMART-ITL facility, and validation analysis of the TASS/SMR-S code was performed by comparing the corresponding test results. Three single-phase natural circulation tests were sequentially conducted at 15%, 10%, and 5% of full-scaled core-power without RCP operation, following which a two-phase natural circulation test was successively conducted with an artificial discharge of coolant inventory. The simulation capability of the TASS/SMR-S code with respect to the natural circulation phenomena was validated against the test results, and somewhat conservative but reasonably comparative results in terms of overall thermalhydraulic behavior were shown.

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