A Multi-Physics Adaptive Time Step Coupling Algorithm for Light-Water Reactor Core Transient and Accident Simulation

Alexey Cherezov, Jinsu Park, Hanjoo Kim, Jiwon Choe and Deokjung Lee
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Alexey Cherezov: Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, Korea
Jinsu Park: Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, Korea
Hanjoo Kim: Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, Korea
Jiwon Choe: Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, Korea
Deokjung Lee: Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, Korea

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-17

Abstract: A new reactor core multi-physics system addresses the pellet-to-cladding heat transfer modeling to improve full-core operational transient and accident simulation used for assessment of reactor core nuclear safety. The rigorous modeling of the heat transfer phenomena involves strong interaction between neutron kinetics, thermal-hydraulics and nuclear fuel performance, as well as consideration of the pellet-to-cladding mechanical contact leading to dramatic increase in the gap thermal conductance coefficient. In contrast to core depletion where parameters smoothly depend on fuel burn-up, the core transient is driven by stiff equation associated with rapid variation in the solution and vulnerable to numerical instability for large time step sizes. Therefore, the coupling algorithm dedicated for multi-physics transient must implement adaptive time step and restart capability to achieve prescribed tolerance and to maintain stability of numerical simulation. This requirement is met in the MPCORE (Multi-Physics Core) multi-physics system employing external loose coupling approach to facilitate the coupling procedure due to little modification of constituent modules and due to high transparency of coupling interfaces. The paper investigates the coupling algorithm performance and evaluates the pellet-to-cladding heat transfer effect for the rod ejection accident of a light water reactor core benchmark.

Keywords: multi-physics; external loose coupling; rod ejection accident; adaptive time step; picard iteration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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