Integral and Separate Effects Test Facilities To Support Water Cooled Small Modular Reactors: A Review

Palash K. Bhowmik, Carlos E. Estrada Perez, Joshua D. Fishler, Silvino A. Balderrama Prieto, Isaac D. Reichow, Justin T. Johnson, Piyush Sabharwall, James E. O'Brien

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study reviews previous experimental facilities and test programs relevant to water-cooled reactor system design and analysis to meet regulatory compliances. This study aims to find the best solution for designing the required experiments, obtaining necessary test data, and verifying the developed computer code/models to support the new reactor design and development while minimizing cost and time while leveraging experiences from previous facilities to minimize. Nuclear reactor licensing requires supportive design, analysis, and experimental results to ensure the safety of the full-scale prototype reactor in regular operation, as well as during postulated accident scenarios. These reactor design analyses are generally performed using system codes and other associated simulation tools that require assessment, verification and validation using an appropriate experimental dataset. Experimental facilities used for reactor system safety analysis and system code assessments are categorized into integral effects test (IET) and separate effects test (SET) facilities. These IET and SET experiments and studies use geometrically scaled systems to reproduce the prototype system behavior at a reasonable cost, albeit with some scaling-related distortions. The design challenge of these model facilities is to identify and minimize scaling distortions while reproducing the most important operational phenomena in steady-state operation and in postulated accident scenarios. Lessons learned from previous experimental facilities, models, and correlations can support the development of new multipurpose, scaled, hybrid, integrated, and modular experimental facilities for advanced light water-cooled small modular reactors (SMRs). Successful operation of these facilities can significantly reduce upfront reactor development and demonstration costs and time to deployment.

Original languageEnglish
Article number104697
JournalProgress in Nuclear Energy
Volume160
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2023
Externally publishedYes

Funding

The authors would like to thank the Department of Energy (DOE) National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Project (ARDP) program office and Irradiation Experiment and Thermal Hydraulics Analysis Department at INL for the encouragement and support.

FundersFunder number
National Reactor Innovation Center
U.S. Department of Energy

    Keywords

    • Facility development
    • Integral effect test
    • Scoping studies
    • Separate effect test
    • Small modular reactor

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