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Modelling of natural convection processes during degraded core accidents

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5050674
This paper describes a model which has been developed to provide a parametric framework for characterizations of flow and heat transfer regimes in the uncovered region of the reactor core and the upper plenum of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) vessel following severe accidents. The reactor vessel is considered to be an anisotropic porous medium. The flow is modeled using the Brinkman-Forchheimer extended Darcy equations. The governing equations are solved with the SIMPLER algorithm and good agreement with previously reported numerical and experimental results is found. A parametric study is performed to investigate the influence of various dimensionless groups of the problem on the flow redistribution processes.
Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH00016
OSTI ID:
5050674
Report Number(s):
BNL-NUREG-40790; CONF-880724-11; ON: DE88007031
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English