INL Experimental Program Roadmap for Thermal Hydraulic Code Validation
Advanced computer modeling and simulation tools and protocols will be heavily relied on for a wide variety of system studies, engineering design activities, and other aspects of the Next Generation Nuclear Power (NGNP) Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR), the DOE Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), and light-water reactors. The goal is for all modeling and simulation tools to be demonstrated accurate and reliable through a formal Verification and Validation (V&V) process, especially where such tools are to be used to establish safety margins and support regulatory compliance, or to design a system in a manner that reduces the role of expensive mockups and prototypes. Recent literature identifies specific experimental principles that must be followed in order to insure that experimental data meet the standards required for a “benchmark” database. Even for well conducted experiments, missing experimental details, such as geometrical definition, data reduction procedures, and manufacturing tolerances have led to poor Benchmark calculations. The INL has a long and deep history of research in thermal hydraulics, especially in the 1960s through 1980s when many programs such as LOFT and Semiscle were devoted to light-water reactor safety research, the EBRII fast reactor was in operation, and a strong geothermal energy program was established. The past can serve as a partial guide for reinvigorating thermal hydraulic research at the laboratory. However, new research programs need to fully incorporate modern experimental methods such as measurement techniques using the latest instrumentation, computerized data reduction, and scaling methodology. The path forward for establishing experimental research for code model validation will require benchmark experiments conducted in suitable facilities located at the INL. This document describes thermal hydraulic facility requirements and candidate buildings and presents examples of suitable validation experiments related to VHTRs, sodium-cooled fast reactors, and light-water reactors. These experiments range from relatively low-cost benchtop experiments for investigating individual phenomena to large electrically-heated integral facilities for investigating reactor accidents and transients.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-99ID-13727
- OSTI ID:
- 923482
- Report Number(s):
- INL/EXT-07-13248; TRN: US0802220
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Measurement of Turbulent Flow Phenomena for the Lower Plenum of a Prismatic Gas-Cooled Reactor
Experimental Validation of Stratified Flow Phenomena, Graphite Oxidation, and Mitigation Strategies of Air Ingress Accidents
Related Subjects
BENCHMARKS
COMPLIANCE
COMPUTERS
DESIGN
FAST REACTORS
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
MANUFACTURING
NUCLEAR ENERGY
NUCLEAR POWER
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR SAFETY
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SAFETY MARGINS
THERMAL HYDRAULICS
TRANSIENTS
VALIDATION
VERIFICATION
thermal hydraulic
experiments
code validation