Estimate of LOCA-FI plenum pressure uncertainty for a five-ring RELAP5 production reactor model

Abstract

The RELAP5/MOD2.5 code (RELAP5) is used to perform best-estimate analyses of certain postulated Design Basis Accidents (DBAs) in SRS production reactors. Currently, the most limiting DBA in terms of reactor power level is an instantaneous double-ended guillotine break (DEGB) loss of coolant accident (LOCA). A six-loop RELAP5 K Reactor model is used to analyze the reactor system behavior dozing the Flow Instability (FI) phase of the LOCA, which comprises only the first 5 seconds following the DEGB. The RELAP5 K Reactor model includes tank and plenum nodalizations having five radial rings and six azimuthal sectors. The reactor system analysis provides time-dependent plenum and tank bottom pressures for use as boundary conditions in the FLOWTRAN code, which models a single fuel assembly in detail. RELAP5 also performs the system analysis for the latter phase of the LOCA, denoted the Emergency Cooling System (ECS) phase. Results from the RELAP analysis are used to provide boundary conditions to the FLOWTRAN-TF code, which is an advanced two-phase version of FLOWTRAN. The RELAP5 K Reactor model has been tested for LOCA-FI and Loss-of-Pumping Accident analyses and the results compared with equivalent analyses performed with the TRAC-PF1/MOD1 code (TRAC). An equivalent RELAP5 six-loop, five-ring, six-sector L Reactor model has been benchmarked against qualified single-phase system data from the 1989 L-Area In-Reactor Test Program. The RELAP5 K and L Reactor models have also been subjected to an independent Quality Assurance verification.