Demonstration of LOTUS multiphysics BEPU analysis framework for LB-LOCA simulations. (December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Blakely, Cole; Zhang, Hongbin; Szilard, Ronaldo; Epiney, Aaron; Vaghetto, Rodolfo; Ban, Heng
• Is Part Of: Annals of nuclear energy. Volume 122(2018)
• Page Start: 8
• Page End: 22
• Publication Date: 2018-12
• Subjects: BA Burnable Absorber -- BEPU Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty -- BOC Beginning of Cycle -- CASL Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors -- CD-A Core Design-Automation -- CD-O Core Design-Optimization -- CFD Computational Fluid Dynamics -- CRAM Chebyshev Rational Approximation Method -- ECCS Emergency Core Coolant System -- ECR Equivalent Cladding Reacted -- ECRR Equivalent Cladding Reacted Ratio -- EOC End of Cycle -- FOM Figures of Merit -- FP Fuel Performance -- IFBA Integral Fuel Burnable Absorber -- INL Idaho National Laboratory -- INSTANT Intelligent Nodal and Semi-structured Treatment for Advanced Neutron Transport -- LB-LOCA Large Break Loss Of Coolant Accident -- LOCA Loss Of Coolant Accident -- LOTUS LOCA Toolkit for U.S. Light Water Reactors -- LWR Light Water Reactor -- MOOSE Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment -- MP-BEPU Multiphysics Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty -- MRTAU Multi-Reactor Transmutation Analysis Utility -- NEAMS Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation -- NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission -- PCT Peak Cladding Temperature -- PCTR Peak Cladding Temperature Ratio -- PDF Probability Density Function -- PHISICS Parallel and Highly Innovative Simulation for the INL Code System -- PWR Pressurized Water Reactor -- PPM Parts Per Million -- UQ Uncertainty Quantification -- VERA Virtual Environment for Reactor Analysis -- RELAP Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program -- SA Systems Analysis -- RA Risk Assessment -- RIA Reactivity Insertion Accidents -- WPPM Weighted Parts Per Million; LOTUS -- Multiphysics environment -- Uncertainty quantification -- 10 CFR 56.46c -- LB-LOCA; Nuclear energy -- Periodicals; Nuclear engineering -- Periodicals; 621.4805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anucene.2018.08.027
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4549

Abstract

Highlights: Description of the Multiphysics Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty (MP-BEPU) framework LOTUS. Uncertainty quantification of multiphysics simulations in LOTUS. Application of LOTUS to LB-LOCA simulations. Abstract: The LOCA Toolkit for U.S. light water reactors (LOTUS) currently under development at Idaho National Labs (INL) is a plug and play, multiphysics environment to be used in support of system level plant transient analysis. New proposed rule changes in LOCA safety regulations (10 CFR 50.46c) require the inclusion of cladding hydrogen content in the evaluation of equivalent cladding reacted (ECR) and peak cladding temperature (PCT). The potential for a future implementation of said rule change motivates the current development of a unique union of core design, system analysis, and fuel performance codes within a framework allowing for uncertainty quantification (UQ). A demonstration of LOTUS capabilities to address this potential need is performed with an integration of the core design code PHISICS, the fuel performance code FRAPCON, and the system analysis code RELAP5-3D. UQ is performed via Wilks' method to compute the one sided 95/95 confidence values of the aforementioned safety metrics. Results demonstrate the benefits of the Multiphysics Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty (MP-BEPU) methodology and provide useful visualization of the limiting cases.