Verification of PWR-Core Analysis Code CORAL Using VERA Core Physics Benchmark

Abstract

Abstract Three dimensional PWR-core analysis code CORAL developed by Wuhan Second Ship Design and Research Institute, which provides all functions required by PWR-core analysis calculation. These functions are neutron diffusion within the core and reflector, macroscopic depletion or microscopic depletion calculation analysis, multi-channel or sub-channel thermal-hydraulic analysis, one-dimensional heat transfer from nuclear fuel to the coolant, critical search by boron concentration or control rod position, integral and differential worth of neutron absorbers, neutron kinetics parameters for transient analysis, in-core neutron detector response simulation etc. CORAL is convenient to update and maintain in consider of modular, object-oriented programming technology. In order to verify the computational capabilities of the reactor core analysis software and methods, the US CASL project proposed the VERA reactor physics benchmark problem. This benchmark problem is based on the initial loading of Watts Bar Nuclear unit 1 as a model ranging from a simple 2D pin problem cell to the full cycle depletion and refueling of problem a 3D reactor core configuration. Aiming at the VERA benchmark problems, physics calculations are performed using the CORAL code, and the results of effective multiplication factor, assembly power distribution, control rod worth value and reactivity coefficient are obtained. By comparing with the KENO results provided in the benchmark problems, the calculation results of CORAL code are in good agreement. This shows that the CORAL code has the ability to calculate from 2D lattice to the 3D reactor core, and its computational accuracy is basically equivalent to the KENO code.