MELCOR Verification, Benchmarking, and Applications experience at BNL

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6741132

Madni, I K

This paper presents a summary of MELCOR Verification, Benchmarking and Applications experience at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Under MELCOR verification over the past several years, all released versions of the code were installed on BNL's computer system, verification exercises were performed, and defect investigation reports were sent to SNL. Benchmarking calculations of integral severe fuel damage tests performed at BNL have helped to identify areas of modeling strengths and weaknesses in MELCOR; the most appropriate choices for input parameters; selection of axial nodalization for core cells and heat structures; and workarounds that extend the capabilities of MELCOR. These insights are explored in greater detail in the paper, with the help of selected results and comparisons. Full plant applications calculations at BNL have helped to evaluate the ability of MELCOR to successfully simulate various accident sequences and calculate source terms to the environment for both BWRs and PWRs. A summary of results, including timing of key events, thermal-hydraulic response, and environmental releases of fission products are presented for selected calculations, along with comparisons with Source Term Code Package (STCP) calculations of the same sequences. Differences in results are explained on the basis of modeling differences between the two codes. The results of a sensitivity calculation are also shown. The paper concludes by highlighting some insights on bottomline issues, and the contribution of the BNL program to MELCOR development, assessment, and the identification of user needs for optimum use of the code.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USNRC; Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6741132
• Report Number(s): BNL-NUREG-48542; CONF-921007-21; ON: DE93009331
• Resource Relation: Conference: 20. water reactor safety information meeting, Bethesda, MD (United States), 21-23 Oct 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
BWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
M CODES
CERTIFICATION
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
BENCHMARKS
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EVALUATION
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
SOURCE TERMS
ACCIDENTS
COMPUTER CODES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
POWER PLANTS
POWER REACTORS
REACTORS
SIMULATION
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
210100 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
210200 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
990200 - Mathematics & Computers