TY - JOUR
T1 - A realistic TRACE PWR LOCA model with application to high-burnup analysis
AU - Wysocki, Aaron
AU - Capps, Nathan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024
PY - 2025/2
Y1 - 2025/2
N2 - This paper presents a TRACE model of a postulated large-break loss-of-coolant accident (LBLOCA) event in a four-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR). The input files have been made publicly available and serve as a starting point for researchers to improve upon or apply to their purposes. The model, based on a legacy PWR model, contains numerous improvements and modifications consistent with US Nuclear Regulatory Commission LBLOCA analysis guidelines. The model is applied to analyze high-burnup (>62 GWD/MTU) fuel behavior during LBLOCA, improving on previous work to provide realistic thermal hydraulic predictions for future fuel performance analyses and experiments related to fission fragment, relocation, and dispersal (FFRD). Sensitivity studies are presented to quantify the impact of the vessel-modeling approach, core radial discretization, and other phenomena. The model is intended for research purposes and contains sufficient plant geometric, operational, and safety system details to represent the main physical phenomena pertaining to LBLOCA.
AB - This paper presents a TRACE model of a postulated large-break loss-of-coolant accident (LBLOCA) event in a four-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR). The input files have been made publicly available and serve as a starting point for researchers to improve upon or apply to their purposes. The model, based on a legacy PWR model, contains numerous improvements and modifications consistent with US Nuclear Regulatory Commission LBLOCA analysis guidelines. The model is applied to analyze high-burnup (>62 GWD/MTU) fuel behavior during LBLOCA, improving on previous work to provide realistic thermal hydraulic predictions for future fuel performance analyses and experiments related to fission fragment, relocation, and dispersal (FFRD). Sensitivity studies are presented to quantify the impact of the vessel-modeling approach, core radial discretization, and other phenomena. The model is intended for research purposes and contains sufficient plant geometric, operational, and safety system details to represent the main physical phenomena pertaining to LBLOCA.
KW - Computational thermal hydraulics
KW - High-burnup fuel
KW - Loss-of-coolant accident
KW - Nuclear systems code
KW - Reactor safety analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85208133757&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.anucene.2024.111014
DO - 10.1016/j.anucene.2024.111014
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85208133757
SN - 0306-4549
VL - 211
JO - Annals of Nuclear Energy
JF - Annals of Nuclear Energy
M1 - 111014
ER -