Verification of a three-dimensional nodal transient neutronics routine for the TRAC-PF1/MOD3 thermal-hydraulic system analysis code

Journal Article · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998 · Nuclear Technology

OSTI ID:653478

Bandini, B R ^[1]; Ivanov, K N; Baratta, A J ^[2]; Steinke, R G ^[3]

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1. Bettis Atomic Power Lab., West Mifflin, PA (United States)
2. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Nuclear Engineering Dept.
3. Los Alamos National lab., NM (United States)

The verification of a three-dimensional nodal transient neutronics routine in the TRAC-PF1/MOD3 Version 1.0 thermal-hydraulic system analysis computer code is discussed. This neutronics algorithm is based on a fully implicit transient version of the well-known nodal expansion method. Results from running TRAC-PF1/MOD3 with this new neutronics routine were compared with the results of running two established neutronics/thermal-hydraulic space-time codes. HERMITE and ARROTTA. The transient chosen of this code verification was a rapid ejection of an off-center control rod in a Westinghouse pressurized water reactor, which is initially at hot standby. This severe prompt-critical transient provides a stringent test of TRAC-PF1/MOD3`s new multidimensional neutronics routine and its coupling to the existing thermal-hydraulic solution methodology. Because of its speed, the transient tests only the fuel rod heat conduction coupling and not the coolant thermal-hydraulic coupling. Acceptable agreement as obtained among the results from TRAC-PF1/MOD3, HERMITE, and ARROTTA during all phases of this transient. Agreement was in the areas of time dependence of total-core and peak-assembly powers, as well as the time dependence of the core-average and peak-assembly fuel temperatures. In addition, comparison of several steady-state calculations that provide initial conditions for the transient analysis showed acceptable agreement in the calculated eigenvalues and normalized assembly-power distributions.

• OSTI ID: 653478
• Journal Information: Nuclear Technology, Journal Name: Nuclear Technology Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 123; ISSN 0029-5450; ISSN NUTYBB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
NODAL EXPANSION METHOD
PWR TYPE REACTORS
ROD EJECTION ACCIDENTS
T CODES
VERIFICATION