Simulation and analysis of pipe and vessel blowdown phenomena using RELAP5 and TRACE

  • Sebastian Gurgacz Institute of Heat Engineering Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering Warsaw University of Technology
  • Grzegorz Maciej Niewinski Institute of Heat Engineering Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering Warsaw University of Technology
  • Michał Pawluczyk Institute of Heat Engineering Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering Warsaw University of Technology
  • Piotr Mazgaj Institute of Heat Engineering Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering Warsaw University of Technology

Abstract

This paper presents results of pipe and vessel theoretical blowdown analysis in order to identify and assess basic rapid depressurization phenomena occurring during Loss of Coolant Accident e.g. in nuclear power plants. Therefore, calculations have been performed with conditions similar to those in a reactor pressure vessel. Due to critical two-phase flow occurrence, RELAP5 mod 3.3. and TRACE v 3.0 system codes were used for this purpose as well as a computational model built on the basis of available literature and implemented in the MATLAB® code. Finally, pipe depressurization results have been compared to experimental results taken from literature.

References

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[3] Carlson K. E., Ransom V. H., Wagner R. J., The Application of RELAP5 to a Pipe Blowdown Experiment, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, 1980.

[4] UK EPR Pre-Construction Safety Report, Areva NP & EDF, 2012. http://www.epr-reactor.co.uk/ (Styczeń, 2013).

[5] Lewandowski J., Mościcki M., „Porównanie granicznych modeli rozprzestrzeniania się pary w budynku reaktora w trakcie awarii typu LOCA”, Biuletyn Informacyjny Instytutu Techniki Cieplnej Politechniki Warszawskiej, Vol. 81, No. 81, 1995, pp. 13 – 22.

[6] Lahey R.T. Jr., Moody F.J., The Thermal-Hydraulics of a Boiling Water Nuclear Reactor, American Nuclear Society, 1993.
Published
2015-02-03
How to Cite
GURGACZ, Sebastian et al. Simulation and analysis of pipe and vessel blowdown phenomena using RELAP5 and TRACE. Journal of Power Technologies, [S.l.], v. 94, n. 5, p. 61--68, feb. 2015. ISSN 2083-4195. Available at: <https://papers.itc.pw.edu.pl/index.php/JPT/article/view/576>. Date accessed: 29 dec. 2024.

Keywords

two-phase flow; two-phase flow simulation; nuclear engineering

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