MELCOR assessment at SNL
MELCOR is a fully integrated, engineering-level computer code that models the progression of severe accidents in light water reactor (LWR) nuclear power plants, being developed at Sandia National Laboratories for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC). The entire spectrum of severe accident phenomena, including reactor coolant system and containment thermal/hydraulic response, core heatup, degradation and relocation, and fission product release and transport, is treated in MELCOR in a unified framework for both boiling water reactors (BWRS) and pressurized water reactors (PWRs). The MELCOR computer code has been developed to the point that it is now being successfully applied in severe accident analyses, particularly in probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) studies. MELCOR was the first of the severe accident analysis codes to undergo a formal peer review process. One of the major conclusions of the recent MELCOR Peer Review was the need for a more comprehensive and more systematic program of MELCOR assessment. A systematic program of code assessment provides a number of benefits, including: 1. guidance to the code developers in identification of areas where code improvements are needed (such as coding implementation errors in models, inappropriate or deficient models, missing models, excessive numerical sensitivities), 2. documented evidence to external observers, users, reviewers and project management that the code is modelling required phenomena correctly, and 3. increased general public acceptance that the code adequately treats issues related to public safety concerns.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 6961446
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--92-1750C; CONF-9210204--1; ON: DE93002473
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ACCIDENTS
AEROSOLS
ALKALI METALS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CESIUM
COLLOIDS
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SOLS
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