Coupling the Advanced Thermohydraulic Code ATHLET with the 3D-Core Model DYN3D

The coupling of advanced thermohydraulic codes with 3-dimensional neutron kinetic codes corresponds to the effort to replace conservative estimations by best estimate calculations. In the past advanced thermohydraulic codes and detailed core models were devoloped in most cases separatly. But it is often nesessary to consider the feedback between the coolant circuits and space dependent neutron kinetics. Examples for such cases are boron dilution accidents or inadverdant connection of a loop filled with cold water.
ATHLET is an advanced thermohydraulic code, developed by the German Gesellschaft fr Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS). Up to now only point kinetics and 1-dimensional neutron kinetics have been included. The DYN3D code, developed in the Research Centre Rossendorf (FZR) for the improvement of the simulation of reactivity initiated accidents in VVER-type reactors comprises 3- dimensional neutron kinetics, models for the thermohydraulics of the core including heat transfer from the fuel to the coolant, a fuel rod behavior model and a mixing model for the lower plenum.